What does "prostitute" mean?
Any person (especially a woman) who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
Prostitute
/ˈpɹɑːstətuːt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any person (especially a woman) who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
- Grammar: prostitute is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cocotte, escort, harlot, lady of pleasure.
- Useful contrasts: Magdalen, Magdalene, buyer.
- Usage evidence: A certain girl was a prostitute but didn't want her grandma to know.
How to use "prostitute"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prostitute" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prostitute" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prostitute" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prostitute" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "prostitute" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cocotte" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "prostitute", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any person (especially a woman) who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
- 2 a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money wordnet
- 3 A woman who has sexual intercourse or engages in other sexual activity for payment, especially as a means of livelihood.
"Unfortunately, there is to my knowledge no visual evidence for the dress of the Roman prostitute, but the literary sources present us with a range of prostitute clothing (from rich accoutrements all the way down to nothing), […]"
- 4 A person who does, or offers to do, a demeaning or dishonourable activity for money or personal gain; someone who acts in a dishonourable way for personal advantage.
"Madonna would do anything for money, you know, she's a total prostitute. And I've got nothing against prostitutes."
Verb
- 1 To offer (oneself or someone else) for sexual activity in exchange for money. reflexive, transitive
"Do not prostitute thy daughter."
- 2 sell one's body; exchange sex for money wordnet
- 3 To sacrifice (oneself, one's talents etc.) in return for profit or other advantage; to exploit for base purposes. derogatory, transitive
"[T]heſe, their rights / In the vile ſtreets they proſtitute to ſale; / Their ancient rights, their dignities, their laws, / Their native glorious freedom."
Adjective
- 1 Debased, corrupt; seeking personal gain by dishonourable means. obsolete
"[H]e speaks a languages that merits not reply, and which can only excite contempt for his prostitute principles, or pity for his ignorance."
- 2 Taking part in promiscuous sexual activity, licentious; (later, chiefly as attributive use of noun) that is a prostitute.
"They rightly say that attacks against prostitute women are common and that it's only when five are murdered in one place that it starts to provoke debate."
- 3 Exposed, subjected (to something shameful). obsolete
"As a matter of ease, exposed and prostitute to every Mother-wit, and to be attained without any great care or study."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A certain girl was a prostitute but didn't want her grandma to know."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "prostitute"?
Common synonyms include: cocotte, escort, harlot, lady of pleasure, sex worker, tart.
How do you use "prostitute" in a sentence?
A certain girl was a prostitute but didn't want her grandma to know.
How do you pronounce "prostitute"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹɑːstətuːt/.
Etymology
From Latin prōstitūtus, past participle of prōstituō, from prō̆ (“for, before”) + statuō (“to set up, to erect”).