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noun Common

prostitution

pros-tih-CHOOSHN
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Prostitution (noun) means the practice of engaging in sex in exchange for money or other payment.

noun
1
The practice of engaging in sex in exchange for money or other payment.
"Prostitution is legal in some countries and banned in others."
"The city cracked down on street prostitution near the station."
"The charity offers practical support to people who want to leave prostitution and rebuild their lives."
2
The act of debasing oneself or one's talents for profit.
"He called the ad campaign a prostitution of the artist's original vision."
"Critics saw the novelist's decision to write advertising slogans as a prostitution of her real talent."
"Is it not a prostitution of your gift to spend it on cheap, empty work?"

How to use prostitution

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe act or business of selling sex for money, or more loosely, selling out something valuable for profit.

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Word forms

Plural
prostitutions
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Etymology

From Late Latin prostitutio, built from prostitute plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

Origin: Late Latin

sex work commercial sex whoredom harlotry oldest occupation oldest profession world's oldest profession

Related words

Rhymes for prostitution

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of prostitution?
"prostitution" (noun) means the practice of engaging in sex in exchange for money or other payment.
What is another word for prostitution?
Other words for "prostitution" include sex work, commercial sex, whoredom, harlotry, oldest occupation, oldest profession.
What are the different meanings of prostitution?
"prostitution" has 2 main meanings: 1. The practice of engaging in sex in exchange for money or other payment; 2. The act of debasing oneself or one's talents for profit.
How do you use prostitution in a sentence?
Example: "Prostitution is legal in some countries and banned in others."

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