prostitution

See also: Prostitution

English

Etymology

From Late Latin prostitutio.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌprɒstɪˈt͡ʃuːʃn/, /prɒstɪˈtjuːʃn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: pros‧ti‧tu‧tion

Noun

prostitution (usually uncountable, plural prostitutions)

  1. Engaging in sexual activity with another person for pay.
    Her addiction brought her to the point that prostitution was the only means she had to survive.
    • 1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter II, in Duty and Inclination: [], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, page 21:
      Sir Howard by his arts stole from them this their only treasure, and to conceal from them the baseness of his despicable seduction, removed to a distance the deluded couple,—loaded them with his favours,—the wages of their child's prostitution.
    • 2013 July 29, David Ingram (reporting for Reuters), Howard Goller, Bill Trott (editing for Reuters), “FBI arrests 150 in three days in sex-trafficking sweep”, in news.yahoo.com, retrieved 2013-07-29:
      The FBI typically does not investigate adult prostitution, leaving it as a state and local matter, but in recent years it has made child prostitution a priority in a program the FBI calls Operation Cross Country. The program includes highway billboards asking people to call the FBI with tips.
  2. (by extension) Engaging in sexual activity with another person in exchange for goods (not necessarily money) or services.
  3. (by extension) Debasement for profit or impure motives.
    The television advertising job was a prostitution of the talents of one of the great writers of the century.

Usage notes

The legal definition of prostitution varies, with some jurisdictions defining it as any exchange of sex for any goods or services of real or perceived value, while others limit it to transactions involving actual monetary payment.

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Translations

Danish

Noun

prostitution c (singular definite prostitutionen, not used in plural form)

  1. prostitution

Declension

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Latin prōstitūtiōnem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pʁɔs.ti.ty.sjɔ̃/
  • (file)

Noun

prostitution f (plural prostitutions)

  1. prostitution

Further reading

Swedish

Noun

prostitution c

  1. prostitution

Declension

Declension of prostitution 
Uncountable
Indefinite Definite
Nominative prostitution prostitutionen
Genitive prostitutions prostitutionens

See also

References

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