noun

fornication

fawr-nih-KAY-shuhn

Fornication (noun) means Sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other.

noun

Sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other.

"The church taught that fornication was a serious sin."

How to use fornication

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA formal, often religious or legal, term for sex outside of marriage.

When to use it

Rarely used casually — it carries a moral or legal tone.

Easily confused with

adultery →

fornications plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

From Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicatio, from fornix, "brothel."

Origin: Latin

adultery criminal conversation

adultery

region ablation allusion emulsion ideation novation abortion abrasion diffusion elocution extension oxidation

What is the meaning of fornication?

"fornication" (noun) means sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other.

What is another word for fornication?

Other words for "fornication" include adultery, criminal conversation.

How do you use fornication in a sentence?

Example: "The church taught that fornication was a serious sin."

adultery