intercourse
intercourse Lexical Profile
intercourse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Physical sexual contact between individuals, especially that involving penetration.
"The public health brochure provided detailed medical information regarding contraception and safe sexual intercourse."
Communication, dealings, or reciprocal exchange between individuals, social groups, or nations (formal or dated).
"Expanded maritime routes in the seventeenth century greatly increased commercial and cultural intercourse between Europe and Asia."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary usage, unmodified 'intercourse' almost universally refers to sexual relations; the older sense of social, diplomatic, or commercial communication is now restricted to formal or historical contexts and typically requires a qualifying adjective (such as 'social intercourse' or 'commercial intercourse') to avoid ambiguity.
• Rhymes for intercourse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Old French entrecours ('commercial exchange'), from Medieval Latin intercursus ('a running between, intervention'), derived from Latin intercurrere ('to run between, mingle').