Sexual relations between unmarried people; historically used to condemn premarital or extramarital sexual activity.
From Latin 'fornicatio,' related to 'fornix' (arch or vault, also a place where prostitutes worked in ancient Rome). The term has been used in religious contexts since medieval times.
Fornication is one of the oldest moral terms in English, showing up repeatedly in religious texts—but the concept of what counts as 'unmarried relations' has changed drastically across cultures and centuries!
Religious/legal language historically policed women's sexuality far more severely than men's; term carries gendered moral judgment rooted in paternity and property law.
Use neutral: 'consensual sexual relationship' or specify legal/religious context if relevant.
["consensual sexual relationship","premarital sex","extramarital relationship"]
Women's sexual autonomy has been criminalized under this language; decoupling morality from gender requires acknowledging equal agency and consent for all partners.
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