Fornicate
//ˈfɔː.nɪˌkeɪt// adj, verb
adj, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To engage in fornication. intransitive
- 2 have sex without being married wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Shaped like an arch or vault; resembling a fornix. especially
Example
More examples"A good Muslim doesn't fornicate."
Etymology
Etymology 1
First attested in 1552; borrowed from Latin fornicātus, perfect active participle of fornicor (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fornix (“arch, vault; brothel”). It was customary for courtesans of the era to wait for their customers out of the rain in arched passageways.
Etymology 2
First attested in 1828; from fornix + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Related phrases
More for "fornicate"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.