verb
fornicate
FAW-nih-kayt
verb
1
To have sexual intercourse, especially outside marriage.
"The old law forbade unmarried couples to fornicate."
How to Use Fornicate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA formal or old-fashioned word for having sex, often used in a moral or religious context.
When to use it
Mostly used in religious, legal, or formal writing rather than everyday speech.
Word Forms
more fornicate comparative, fornicated past tense, fornicates singular, most fornicate superlative
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Etymology
From Latin fornicari, from fornix, "an arch or vaulted passageway" — a word also used for brothels, since prostitutes in ancient Rome often waited for clients under archways.