What does promiscuity mean?
Promiscuity names conduct involving sexual relationships with numerous partners or without a settled, committed relationship. In contemporary usage, it usually carries a negative or moralizing implication and is often associated with scandal, gossip, or accusations of personal impropriety. Historically, the word had the broader sense of indiscriminate mixing, as in a collection of unrelated people, materials, or influences, though that sense is now relatively uncommon. The related adjective promiscuous can describe either a person’s sexual conduct or something mixed indiscriminately. The word derives from Latin promiscuus, meaning “mixed” or “blended,” and originally referred to a mixed or disordered collection before acquiring its modern sexual sense. Promiscuity is useful when discussing sexual behaviour, social attitudes, moral judgments, and the language used to make those judgments.
nounPromiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual relationships with numerous partners or of engaging in such relationships without a committed relationship.
- The practice of having sexual relationships with numerous partners or without a settled or committed relationship.
- Broadly indiscriminate mixing of people, things, or influences, especially within a collection or organization.
"The scandal led to allegations of sexual promiscuity and political corruption."
"Her reputation for promiscuity was exaggerated by the newspapers."
"The archive's promiscuity of formats made it difficult to catalogue."
Plural forms are uncommon because promiscuity is usually discussed as a mass noun.
"The novel portrays the sexual promiscuities of life among the colony."
Promiscuity began with a surprisingly innocent idea: the Latin root meant “mixed” or “blended,” long before the word became associated with sexual behaviour.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does promiscuity come from?
The word comes from Latin promiscuus, meaning “mixed,” “blended,” or “in disorder,” formed from pro- and miscere, “to mix.” It initially referred to indiscriminate mixing and was applied to people or things indiscriminately mixed together. By the early 17th century, it had developed a sexual sense that eventually produced the modern noun. The root miscere also lies behind English words such as mix, miscellaneous, and commixture.
Related word forms
How promiscuity is actually used
The modern sense is chiefly sexual and often carries a strongly disapproving or moralizing tone. The older, broader sense of indiscriminate mixing is uncommon today but can occur in formal or technical writing.
Easily confused with promiscuity
Promiscuity is the noun naming the behaviour, while promiscuous is the adjective describing a person, act, or relationship.