What does "virgin" mean?
A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or (uncommonly) an animal that has never mated.
Virgin
/ˈvɜːd͡ʒɪn/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or (uncommonly) an animal that has never mated.
- Grammar: virgin is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: able, abstinent, acarpous, arid.
- Useful contrasts: alcoholic, bleached oil, copulator.
- Usage evidence: Every Harlot was a Virgin once.
How to use "virgin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "virgin" 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 "virgin" 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 "virgin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "virgin" 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 "virgin" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang 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 "able" 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 "virgin", 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 A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or (uncommonly) an animal that has never mated.
"On the other hand, the daughter of a clergyman repeatedly performed fellatio instead of genital intercourse so that she could remain a virgin."
- 2 A representation (picture, statue etc.) of Virgin Mary.
"Of the forty-five floats presenting Virgins alone, two are preeminent and the subject of such veneration that even the most casual observer must reflect on the fact that Holy Week, which commemorates Christ's passion and death, has become in Spain a celebration in which he plays a secondary role, with his mother becoming the central figure."
- 3 (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Virgo wordnet
- 4 A person who has never engaged in any sexual activity at all.
- 5 a person who has never had sex wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Someone vowed to virginity (usually a woman and often a consecrated virgin), or someone who died in defense of their virginity; (especially) one venerated as a saint.
"In its list of saints, the Catholic Church classifies St. Agnes, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux as virgins."
- 7 One who has never used or experienced a specified thing. informal
"I've never eaten tofu before—you could say I'm a tofu virgin."
- 8 Any of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
- 9 A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect.
Adjective
- 1 In a state of virginity; chaste, not having had sexual intercourse. not-comparable, usually
"Innocence and virgin Modestie […] / That would be woo’d, and not unsought be won"
- 2 Of a physical object, untouched.
"The white cold virgin snow upon my heart / Abates the ardour of my liver."
- 3 Not yet cultivated, explored, or exploited by humans or humans of certain civilizations.
"virgin prairie"
- 4 Inexperienced.
"The woman shook dangerously, an obvious virgin gunhandler."
- 5 Of olive oil, obtained by mechanical means, so that the oil is not altered.
"Wondering how some oil is somehow more virgin than regular virgin olive oil can be a real head-scratcher."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Of mixed drinks, not containing alcohol. not-comparable, usually
"a virgin daiquiri"
Adjective
- 1 in a state of sexual virginity wordnet
- 2 being used or worked for the first time wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Synonym of Virgin Mary (“Mary, mother of Jesus”).
"'Behold,' said he, showing the picture of the Virgin, 'Behold her who protects us. Fear nothing : we shall reach Chang-hai, and we shall see our bishop.' He spoke truth : shortly they descried a Chinese junk. The master of it, on the promise of a good round sum, undertook to guide them to their destination."
- 2 The constellation and zodiacal sign Virgo.
"In Autumpne, whan the sonne in vyrgyne / By radyante hete enryped hath our corne […]"
- 3 A surname. rare
- 4 A tributary of the Colorado River in the states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona in the United States.
- 5 A town in Washington County, Utah.
Antonyms
Example
"Every Harlot was a Virgin once."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "virgin"?
Common synonyms include: able, abstinent, acarpous, arid, artless, babe.
How do you use "virgin" in a sentence?
Every Harlot was a Virgin once.
How do you pronounce "virgin"?
Pronounced /ˈvɜːd͡ʒɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English virgine, from Old French virgine, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. Doublet of Virgo. Displaced native Old English fǣmne.
Etymology 2
From virgin, q.v. The sense of Mary, mother of Jesus, comes from the Christian belief in Jesus's virgin birth and Mary's freedom from sin. The river sense derives from the name of Thomas Virgin, a member of the first American party to see the river, led by Jedediah Smith in 1826. The town sense derives from the name of the river, along which it is located.