What does whoremonger mean?
Whoremonger is an archaic English noun for a procurer or pimp: a person who obtains women for prostitution or acts as an intermediary in prostitution. The term is now chiefly encountered in historical, legal, and literary writing, where it may preserve the charged language of an older period. In modern discussion it is usually avoided because “whoremonger” carries a strongly derogatory and potentially offensive stigma and treats the activity or the people involved in a demeaning way. The word can nevertheless be useful when explaining older texts, laws, accusations, or political rhetoric, especially where the exact social and legal meaning of the original charge matters. A careful writer may prefer the more precise modern terms “pimp” or “procurer,” while adding context if the historical expression is being quoted. The word is normally countable and takes the plural “whoremongers,” but its rarity makes grammatical patterns less important than recognition of its historical register.
nounAn archaic term for a procurer or pimp, especially someone who arranges women for prostitution.
- A procurer or pimp who arranges women for prostitution.
"The pamphlet denounced him as a whoremonger and demanded stricter regulation of the trade."
"The witness described him as a whoremonger who arranged encounters for wealthy clients."
"The nineteenth-century pamphlet treated the growth of prostitution as the work of notorious whoremongers."
The regular plural is “whoremongers,” though the noun itself is now archaic and rarely used.
"The authorities prosecuted several whoremongers under the old licensing laws."
A fiercely stigmatizing historical label for a procurer, whoremonger survives mainly in older writing and records of public accusation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of whoremonger
Whoremonger is an English compound formed from “whore” and the agent-forming element “-monger,” meaning a dealer or trader. The second element also survives in the independent noun “monger” and ultimately derives from Latin, where related forms referred to trading or dealing. The compound arose during the early modern period, when it was used in the sense of a procurer or pimp.
Related word forms
How whoremonger is actually used
This is an archaic, strongly derogatory term and may be offensive in modern use. It occurs chiefly in historical, legal, and literary contexts; modern speakers would normally use “pimp” or “procurer” instead.