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sexual intercourse

noun

Definition of sexual intercoursenext
as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis many people believe that it's best to wait to experience sexual intercourse until you're mature enough to handle it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sexual intercourse
  1. relations
  2. mating
Noun
  • At the core of South Africa’s push to reset its ties with the US while maintaining strong relations with China are mines like the giant Mogalakwena site, 150 miles north of Johannesburg and operated by Valterra Platinum.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Iran’s ambassador to Russia also said in February 2025 that Tehran and Moscow no longer needed SWIFT for bilateral banking relations and were using their own confidential bank-messaging systems.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of relations
Noun
  • Mu spent five Arctic summers in far-eastern Russia, where mating pairs each have their own territory.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fall foliage peaks here between late September and early October; this also aligns with elk mating time in the area.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

sexual assaults
sexual intercourse
sexuality
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Cite this Entry

“Sexual intercourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sexual%20intercourse. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sexual intercourse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sexual intercourse

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