Fornication

/ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/

Synonyms for "fornication" (64 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (13)

act of loveadulteryaphrodisiaassballingcarnal knowledgeclimaxcohabitationcoitioncoituscoitus interruptuscommerce
Noun(1 words)

Strong matches (19)

concubinagecongressconnectioncopulacopulationcouplingcriminal conversationcuckoldrydiddlingextracurricular sexextramarital relationsfree lovefree-lovismgerm cellincestintercourse
Noun(3 words)
copulationcriminal conversationillicit sex

Related words (32)

intimacylovemakingmaking it withmarital relationsmarriage actmatingmeatonanismorgasmovumpareuniapremarital relationspremarital sexprocreationrelationsscrewingsexsex actsexual climaxsexual commerce
Show 7 more words
sexual congresssexual intercoursesexual relationssexual unionsleeping withspermvenery
Noun(5 words)
moral sinpremarital sexsinful actunlawful sexunmarried sex

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: act of love, adultery, adultery, aphrodisia, ass.
  • Sentence evidence is available for fornication, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, wiktionary, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "fornication".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "fornication"

Keep "fornication" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "fornication" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "fornication", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "fornication" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

7 entries
criminal offenseextramarital sexfree lovemoral issuemoral offensereligious doctrinesexual activity

More specific

6 entries
fornication offensegrave sinmortal sinsexual crimeunmarital intercourseunwed sex

Collocations

6 entries
fornication lawmoral offensepremarital sexreligious doctrinesexual immoralityunmarital sex

Inflections

1 entries

Derivations

3 entries

Translations

40 translations across 29 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Arabic

2 entries
  • زِنًى noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • سِفَاح noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

1 entries
  • ܙܵܢܝܘܼܬܵܐ noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Bulgarian

2 entries
  • блудство noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • прелюбодея́ние noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Catalan

1 entries
  • fornicació noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Chinese Mandarin

3 entries
  • 亂倫 /乱伦 noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • 姦淫 /奸淫 noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • 通奸 noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Danish

1 entries
  • utugt noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Dutch

1 entries
  • ontucht noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Finnish

3 entries
  • fornikaatio noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • haureus noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • salavuoteus noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

French

1 entries
  • fornication noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Galician

1 entries
  • fornicación noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Georgian

2 entries
  • მრუშობა noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • სიძვა noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

German

1 entries
  • Unzucht noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Indonesian

2 entries
  • fornikasi noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • zinah noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Japanese

1 entries
  • 姦淫 noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Korean

1 entries
  • 간음 noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Māori

1 entries
  • kaikaiātara noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Norwegian Bokmål

1 entries
  • utukt noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Norwegian Nynorsk

1 entries
  • utukt noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Occitan

1 entries
  • fornicacion noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Ottoman Turkish

1 entries
  • زنا noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Plautdietsch

1 entries
  • Huararie noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Polish

1 entries
  • rozpusta noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Portuguese

1 entries
  • fornicação noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Romanian

1 entries
  • curvie noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Russian

4 entries
  • блуд noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • внебра́чная связь noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • прелюбодея́ние noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)
  • распу́тство noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Spanish

1 entries
  • fornicación noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Swedish

1 entries
  • otukt noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Tagalog

1 entries
  • pakikiapid noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Turkish

1 entries
  • zina noun (sexual intercourse considered illicit)

Sample sentences

13 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

If throughout your life you abstain from murder, theft, fornication, perjury, blasphemy, and disrespect toward your parents, your church, and your king, you are conventionally held to deserve moral admiration even if you have never done a single kind or generous or useful action.

Source: tatoeba (411796)

Fornication is forbidden in many religions.

Source: tatoeba (7424580)

Fornication is forbidden in Islam.

Source: tatoeba (8265841)

Fornication is a major sin in Islam.

Source: tatoeba (8271611)

Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "fornication"?

Closest matches include act of love, adultery, adultery, aphrodisia, ass.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "fornication"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "fornication"