What does coitus mean?
"Coitus" is the formal, clinical term for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, specifically referring to penetration of the vagina by the penis. Derived from Latin, where it meant "a coming together," the word entered English in the early modern period and has since been used primarily in medical, legal, scientific, and academic contexts. Because of its technical register, it tends to sound detached or clinical in everyday speech, and it may even strike lay listeners as amusingly stiff compared with more common terms such as "intercourse" or "copulation." The word appears most often in fixed phrases like "coitus interruptus," denoting withdrawal before ejaculation as a contraceptive practice, and "coitus reservatus." Writers and speakers generally reserve "coitus" for contexts demanding precision or formality — sex education materials, medical literature, legal definitions of consummation, or scholarly discussions of human sexuality — rather than casual conversation, where simpler vocabulary is preferred.
nounSexual intercourse between a man and a woman, especially involving penetration of the vagina by the penis. It is the formal, clinical term for this act.
- Sexual intercourse involving penetration of the vagina by the penis; the formal or clinical term for copulation.
"The medical textbook described coitus as one stage of the human sexual response cycle."
"Kinsey's research documented wide variation in the frequency of coitus among married couples."
"In many jurisdictions, legal definitions of consummation of marriage have historically referred to completed coitus."
"Coitus" is typically used as an uncountable mass noun in English and is rarely pluralized. When a countable sense is needed, "instances of coitus" or "acts of coitus" is preferred over any plural form of the word itself.
"The researchers recorded several instances of coitus during the observation period."
The phrase 'coitus interruptus' — withdrawal — is one of the oldest recorded methods of contraception, described in texts thousands of years old.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coitus
"Coitus" comes directly from Latin "coitus," meaning "a meeting together" or "sexual union," formed from the verb "coeire" ("to come together"), itself built from "co-" ("together") plus "ire" ("to go"). English adopted the word in the early 17th century, initially in learned and medical writing. It shares this Latin root with "coition," an older synonym, and with words built on "ire," such as "exit" and "transit," which also express motion from the same Latin verb.
Related word forms
How coitus is actually used
"Coitus" is a formal, technical term used chiefly in medicine, law, and academic writing. In everyday conversation it can sound clinical or even humorous by contrast with ordinary vocabulary. The related phrase "coitus interruptus" refers specifically to withdrawal before ejaculation as a method of contraception.
Easily confused with coitus
Coition is an older synonym meaning sexual intercourse, while coitus is the more standard modern clinical term.