prostitution
noun
pros·ti·tu·tion
ˌprä-stə-ˈtü-shən 
-ˈtyü-
1
sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below
: the act or practice of engaging in sex acts and especially sexual intercourse in exchange for pay : sex work
2
: the state of being involved in or devoted to corrupt or unworthy purposes : debasement
You see, for Michelangelo, painting was only a day job—one he felt was a prostitution of his artistic talent. His passion was sculpture.—
Karen Wall Garrison
Karen Wall Garrison
Usage of Prostitute
The terms sex worker and sex work are now preferred to prostitute and prostitution, which are increasingly rejected as offensive. Additionally, prostitute and prostitution are avoided in contexts relating to victimization especially of children because the words there are seen as an egregious mischaracterization of exploitation.
Synonyms of prostitution
Examples of prostitution in a Sentence
She was arrested for prostitution.
Writing commercials was a prostitution of his talents.
Recent Examples on the Web
The actor and sculptor, who played the Marv in the first two Home Alone movies, faced one misdemeanor charge of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution stemming from an incident in December.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Mearan had denied trafficking allegations Mearan faced 18 charges spanning human trafficking, racketeering and compelling and promoting prostitution.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2026
An analysis of the files suggests Wolfe spoke with Epstein multiple times between 2009 and 2014, after the financier’s conviction for solicitation of prostitution from a girl below age 18 in June 2008.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Epstein served jail time, having been convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, although the true scale of his crimes did not start to emerge until 2015.
—Nick Duffy, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prostitution
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Mearan had denied trafficking allegations Mearan faced 18 charges spanning human trafficking, racketeering and compelling and promoting prostitution.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2026
An analysis of the files suggests Wolfe spoke with Epstein multiple times between 2009 and 2014, after the financier’s conviction for solicitation of prostitution from a girl below age 18 in June 2008.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Epstein served jail time, having been convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, although the true scale of his crimes did not start to emerge until 2015.
—Nick Duffy, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prostitution
Cite this Entry
“Prostitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostitution. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prostitution
noun
pros·ti·tu·tion
ˌpräs-tə-ˈt(y)ü-shən
1
: the acts or practices of a prostitute
2
: the state of being prostituted
Legal Definition
prostitution
noun
pros·ti·tu·tion
ˌpräs-tə-ˈtü-shən, -ˈtyü-
: the act or practice of engaging in sexual activity indiscriminately especially for money
also
: the crime of engaging in such activity
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
