What does sodomite mean?
A sodomite was, in older legal and religious language, a person accused of engaging in anal intercourse, particularly under laws that criminalized same-sex relationships or other prohibited sexual acts. The word derives from Sodom, the biblical city associated with sexual immorality, and historically carried associations of sin, criminality, and moral deviance. In modern usage, it survives chiefly as a derogatory label, especially for gay or bisexual men, rather than as a precise or neutral description of a person. Its history reflects the use of religious and legal systems to stigmatize same-sex sexuality. Contemporary discussion generally prefers the terms gay, lesbian, bisexual, or the more specific description of a sexual practice when one is actually relevant. Although the headword remains useful in studying legal, religious, and linguistic history, it should be avoided in ordinary respectful speech except when discussing historical usage or quoted prejudice.
nounA person alleged or regarded as engaging in anal intercourse. The term is now chiefly derogatory, especially when used to stigmatize gay or bisexual men.
- A person alleged or regarded as engaging in anal intercourse.
- A derogatory term for a gay or bisexual man.
"The label, long used to stigmatize gay men, is now recognized as offensive and harmful."
"Historical records sometimes described the accused as a sodomite, regardless of the actual basis for the charge."
"Using the term to insult a gay colleague is both cruel and socially unacceptable."
The plural is rare and appears mainly in historical, legal, or quoted discriminatory contexts.
"The report alleged that the men were sodomites, reflecting the hostile language of the period."
From the biblical city condemned for vice to a label burdened with centuries of prejudice, the word carries far more stigma than neutral legal or historical accounts require.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sodomite come from?
The word entered English through Old French and Latin in the late medieval period. Its immediate source was Sodom, the biblical city whose inhabitants were condemned for sexual depravity in Genesis. The name was applied to people associated with acts then believed to violate religious or sexual morality, and the term later became closely linked with laws prohibiting sodomy and with the stigmatization of gay men.
Related word forms
How sodomite is actually used
The word is obsolete in neutral modern prose and is retained mainly in historical, legal, and derogatory contexts. It has long been used specifically to stigmatize men perceived as homosexual and may be treated as a slur in contemporary usage.
Easily confused with sodomite
Sodomy names the prohibited or stigmatized sexual acts, whereas the headword denotes a person associated with or accused of those acts.