What does prostitution mean?
Prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual activity in return for money or another form of payment. It can describe an individual transaction, the activity generally, or an organized market involving providers, clients, and intermediaries. In ordinary public discussion, the term may sound accusatory or stigmatizing, particularly in discussion of people whose circumstances are coercive or exploitative; consequently, “sex work” is often used as a more neutral descriptive alternative. The legal meaning varies substantially among jurisdictions, which may define paid sexual services, solicitation, brothel keeping, or trafficking differently. Prostitution is not synonymous with trafficking: trafficking necessarily involves coercion, deception, or exploitation of a person's vulnerability, while prostitution may describe consensual commercial exchange. The word is also used in legal, historical, and academic writing to discuss the social, economic, and cultural institutions surrounding commercial sex.
nounThe practice of engaging in sexual activity in return for money or another form of payment.
- The commercial practice of providing sexual services in return for money or another form of payment.
"The inquiry examined the prevalence of prostitution and the conditions faced by those working in the industry."
"The city council debated whether to legalize prostitution while residents complained about street solicitation."
"The novel portrays prostitution as both an economic necessity and a source of social power."
The regular plural is possible but uncommon; prostitution is normally used as a mass noun.
"The sociologists' comparisons of urban prostitution across several cities reveal sharply different legal and social conditions."
The Latin ancestor originally meant “public offering” or “display”; the sexual sense developed from the idea of making oneself publicly available.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of prostitution
English prostitution comes from Latin prostitutio, formed from prostitutere, meaning “to offer or expose publicly.” The verb combines pro-, meaning “forward” or “publicly,” with statuere, meaning “to set up” or “place.” The sexual sense developed from the idea of publicly offering sexual access, and the word had entered English by the early modern period.
Related word forms
How prostitution is actually used
The term can carry a strongly negative or stigmatizing tone. “Sex work” is often used as a more neutral descriptive alternative, although legal definitions differ among jurisdictions. Prostitution is not synonymous with trafficking: trafficking necessarily involves coercion, deception, or exploitation, whereas prostitution may describe consensual commercial exchange.
Easily confused with prostitution
A prostitute is a person who provides sexual services for payment, whereas prostitution is the practice or activity itself.