fornicate
verb /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪt/
/ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪt/
[intransitive] (formal, disapproving)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they fornicate | /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪt/ /ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪt/ |
| he / she / it fornicates | /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪts/ /ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪts/ |
| past simple fornicated | /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| past participle fornicated | /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪtɪd/ /ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form fornicating | /ˈfɔːnɪkeɪtɪŋ/ /ˈfɔːrnɪkeɪtɪŋ/ |
- to have sex with somebody that you are not married toWord OriginMiddle English (as fornication): from ecclesiastical Latin fornicat- ‘arched’, from fornicari, from Latin fornix, fornic- ‘vaulted chamber’, later ‘brothel’.