sex work

noun

Any job in which sex or eroticism is involved, especially prostitution or pornography.

“My mother distributes condoms and outreach materials to those that do sex work for a living in the Tenderloin and Mission.”

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Meanings

nounsex work (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAny job in which sex or eroticism is involved, especially prostitution or pornography.

    My mother distributes condoms and outreach materials to those that do sex work for a living in the Tenderloin and Mission.

    3 more examples

    Many were initiated into sex work through friends who were already sex workers, but others took the initiative themselves.

    1999. Peter Aggleton, "Men who sell sex: international perspectives on male prostitution", Page 44

    Social Control, Policing, and Sex Work I think it was the first, no second, time I got arrested.

    2006. Leslie Ann Jeffrey, Gayle Michelle MacDonald, "Sex workers in the Maritimes talk back", Page 105

    Sex work involves the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation.

    2010. Ronald John Weitzer, "Sex for sale: prostitution, pornography, and the sex industry", Page 1

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 性工作
  • 性工作 (xìnggōngzuò)job in which sex is involved
Finnish seksityö
  • seksityöjob in which sex is involved
French travail du sexe
  • travail du sexejob in which sex is involved
German Sexarbeit
  • Sexarbeitjob in which sex is involved
Greek σεξεργασία
  • σεξεργασία (sexergasía)job in which sex is involved
Hungarian szexmunka
  • szexmunkajob in which sex is involved
Polish praca seksualna, sex working
  • praca seksualnajob in which sex is involved
  • sex workingjob in which sex is involved
Portuguese prostituição
  • prostituiçãojob in which sex is involved
Russian секс-инду́стрия, секс-индустри́я
  • секс-инду́стрия (sɛks-indústrija)job in which sex is involved
  • секс-индустри́я (sɛks-industríja)job in which sex is involved
  • интим-услу́ги (intim-uslúgi)job in which sex is involved
  • секс-би́знес (sɛks-bíznɛs)job in which sex is involved
Spanish trabajo sexual
  • trabajo sexualjob in which sex is involved
Swedish sexarbete
  • sexarbetejob in which sex is involved
Cite this entry
APA

sex work. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sex%20work

MLA

“sex work.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sex%20work. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sex work,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sex%20work.

Source: sex work on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.