molestation
molestation Lexical Profile
molestation Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The act of subjecting someone, especially a child, to sexual assault or abuse.
"The organization provides legal support and counseling to survivors of childhood molestation."
The action of pestering, harassing, or hostilely interfering with a person or animal (now chiefly formal or legal).
"The treaty guaranteed that foreign merchants could travel through the territory without molestation."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, 'molestation' almost exclusively refers to sexual assault or abuse (especially involving minors), whereas its older meaning of general annoyance or interference is now largely restricted to formal or legal phrases such as 'without molestation'.
• Rhymes for molestation
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'molestacion' or Late Latin 'molestatio', from Latin 'molestare' (to trouble, annoy, or disturb), derived from 'molestus' (troublesome or burdensome).