Prostitute Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Related Words

Synonyms prostitute American [pros-ti-toot, -tyoot] / ˈprɒs tɪˌtut, -ˌtyut /

noun

1. a person who engages in sexual intercourse or other sex acts for money; sex worker.

   Synonyms: strumpet, trollop, courtesan, streetwalker, call girl

2. a person who willingly uses their talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money.

verb (used with object)

prostituted, prostituting

1. to sell or offer (oneself) to provide sex acts for money.

2. to put to any base or unworthy use.

   to prostitute one's talents.

prostitute British / ˈprɒstɪˌtjuːt /

noun

1. a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money

2. a man who engages in such activity, esp in homosexual practices

3. a person who offers his talent or work for unworthy purposes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. to offer (oneself or another) in sexual intercourse for money

2. to offer (a person, esp oneself, or a person's talent) for unworthy purposes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• prostitution noun
• prostitutor noun
• unprostituted adjective

Etymology

Origin of prostitute

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin prōstitūta and prōstitūtus, noun uses of feminine and masculine forms of prōstitūtus, past participle of prōstituere “to place before, expose (for sale),” equivalent to prō- “before” + -stitū-, combining form of statuere “to make stand” + -tus past participle suffix; pro- 1, status

Related Words

• call girl
• escort
• male prostitute
• provider
• sex worker
• worker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.