virginity

noun

vir·​gin·​i·​ty (ˌ)vər-ˈji-nə-tē How to pronounce virginity (audio)
plural virginities
1
: the quality or state of being virgin
especially : maidenhood
2
: the unmarried life : celibacy

Examples of virginity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The original follows high school students' attempts to lose their virginity before graduation. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Taking a page out of The Scarlet Letter, the story follows Olive as her personal life derails thanks to one little white lie about losing her virginity. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Also there’s so much pressure on young women to act a certain way or get rid of their virginity. Thomas Page, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024 As part of the film’s satire of/homage to ’80s teen comedies, Lisa is focused on losing her virginity to the right guy. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Tara is feeling pressured to lose her virginity, largely by Skye, whose qualities as a friend quickly come into question. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 The 1999 coming-of-age comedy depicts a group of teens on a mission to lose their virginity before graduation. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2024 Sometimes their seemingly offhand conversations will pivot on an unexpectedly raw revelation, such as Ji-soo’s candid account of her loss of virginity, or Jang-soo’s apology to Sang-won for loving her cat more than anybody in her life, even her friend. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023 When the right man comes along, what a gift to him her virginity will be! — Mary in Wisconsin Mary: A person’s virginity is NOT a gift to be offered to another person. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'virginity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of virginity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near virginity

Cite this Entry

“Virginity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virginity. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

virginity

noun
vir·​gin·​i·​ty (ˌ)vər-ˈjin-ət-ē How to pronounce virginity (audio)
plural virginities
: the quality or state of being virgin

Medical Definition

virginity

noun
vir·​gin·​i·​ty (ˌ)vər-ˈjin-ət-ē How to pronounce virginity (audio)
plural virginities
: the quality or state of being a virgin
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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