promiscuity

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UK/ˌpɹɒm.ɪˈskju.ɪ.ti/UK/ˌpɹəʊ.mɪˈskju.ɪ.ti/US/ˌpɹɑm.ɪˈskju.ɪ.ti/US/ˌpɹoʊ.mɪˈskju.ɪ.ti/

noun

The state or quality of being promiscuous.

Meanings

nounpromiscuity (countable and uncountable, plural promiscuities)

plural promiscuities

  1. countableuncountableThe state or quality of being promiscuous.
  2. countableuncountableIndiscriminateness in the choice of sexual partners.

    As she becomes more conscious of her flirtatious power, she is sometimes urged toward promiscuity.

    1998 May 14, James Dobson, “Self-worth based on beauty can wither as women age”, in The Woodfield County Journal
    3 more examples

    Experimental variety or what Rey Anthony has called selective promiscuity - is the cornerstone of sane sexual choice.

    1963, Albert Ellis, The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Manhunting, page 129

    I'm not advocating sexual promiscuity but I think it's possible for a woman to have many kinds of sexual relationships with many men and that shouldn't affect the status of the marriage

    1975 March 17, Marian Christy, “Suzy Chaffee, A Liberated Beauty”, in The Lebanon Daily News

    Seeing these happy pairings, I thought of the cheerful promiscuity to come. I felt a growing sexual need, not only for the young women brushing against me in the crowded street...

    1979, J.G. Ballard, The Unlimited Dream Company, chapter 24
  3. countabledatedliteraryuncountableState of being mixed, composed of diverse elements, unsystematic; heterogeneity.

    While I dressed—for Stroeve wished me to go at once with him to the hospital—he told me that he had arranged for his wife to have a private room, so that she might at least be spared the sordid promiscuity of a ward.

    1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 34”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounindulging in promiscuous (casual and indiscriminate) sexual relations

Broader
sexual activitysexual practicesex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchpromiscuité
  2. Englishpromiscuity

From French promiscuité.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan promiscuïtat
  • promiscuïtatstate or quality of being promiscuous
Dutch promiscuïteit
  • promiscuïteitstate or quality of being promiscuous
Finnish siveettömyys, promiskuiteetti
  • siveettömyysstate or quality of being promiscuous
  • promiskuiteettistate or quality of being promiscuous
French promiscuité sexuelle
  • promiscuité sexuellestate or quality of being promiscuous
German Promiskuität
  • Promiskuitätstate or quality of being promiscuous
Greek συγχρωτισμός
  • συγχρωτισμός (synchrotismós)state or quality of being promiscuous
Hungarian promiszkuitás
  • promiszkuitásstate or quality of being promiscuous
Icelandic lauslæti
  • lauslætistate or quality of being promiscuous
Indonesian promiskuitas
  • promiskuitasstate or quality of being promiscuous
Polish promiskuityzm, rozwiązłość
  • promiskuityzmstate or quality of being promiscuous
  • rozwiązłośćstate or quality of being promiscuous
Portuguese promiscuidade
  • promiscuidadestate or quality of being promiscuous
Romanian promiscuitate
  • promiscuitatestate or quality of being promiscuous
Slovak promiskuita
  • promiskuitastate or quality of being promiscuous
Spanish promiscuidad
  • promiscuidadstate or quality of being promiscuous
Swedish promiskuitet
  • promiskuitetstate or quality of being promiscuous
Tagalog kahandalapakan
  • kahandalapakanstate or quality of being promiscuous
Cite this entry
APA

promiscuity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/promiscuity

MLA

“promiscuity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/promiscuity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “promiscuity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/promiscuity.

Source: promiscuity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.