What does harlot mean?
Harlot is a chiefly historical English noun meaning a prostitute and, by extension, a woman regarded as sexually promiscuous or disreputable. In older literary and dramatic contexts it can be a blunt description of a sex worker, while its broader use labels a woman's sexual reputation or behavior as loose. The word is now marked and strongly derogatory: it is not a neutral synonym for prostitute and would usually be inappropriate in contemporary reference works, journalism, or polite conversation. Even in literary discussion, however, it remains a vivid historical marker of the way women associated with sexual availability were stigmatized. Harlot is especially memorable because it reflects both the bluntness and the moral judgment of older language, turning a person's profession or reputation into an insult. Its ordinary plural is harlots.
nounA woman who engages in sexual activity for payment; by extension, a woman regarded as sexually promiscuous or of loose reputation.
- A woman who engages in sexual activity for payment.
- A woman regarded as sexually promiscuous or of loose reputation.
- Archaically, a disreputable, low-born, or unprincipled person.
"The Jacobean drama repeatedly attacks her as a harlot, reflecting the period's contempt for women outside marriage."
"The Jacobean drama repeatedly attacks her as a harlot, reflecting the period's contempt for women outside marriage."
"Historians use the term carefully when discussing the language used to stigmatize sex workers."
The standard plural adds -s. Because the word is dated and offensive in modern usage, it normally appears in historical or literary contexts.
"The play refers to two harlots in the same scene."
Once a broad label for a disreputable woman, harlot is now mostly a literary relic—and still unmistakably an insult.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does harlot come from?
English borrowed harlot during the Middle English period from Old French harlot. The French word's ultimate origin is uncertain, although it was used for a churl or rogue. In English, the term developed a sexual sense and became a label for a prostitute and, more broadly, a woman regarded as sexually loose.
Related word forms
How harlot is actually used
The word is dated, derogatory, and unsuitable as a neutral contemporary synonym for prostitute. It is encountered chiefly in older literature, historical discussion, and quotation, where it can convey a specifically stigmatizing attitude toward the referent.