Meanings
nounsexual capital (uncountable)
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe social power an individual or group accrues as a result of their sexual attractiveness and social charm.
In fact, in the era when Christianity was dominant, women were by default defined by a sort of sexual capital, namely by chastity.
2022, Dana Kaplan, Eva Illouz, What is Sexual Capital?, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBNSynonyms: erotic capital
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe social power an individual or group accrues as a result of their sexual attractiveness and social charm.
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Origin
Popularized by sociologist Catherine Hakim.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
sexual capital. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20capital
MLA
“sexual capital.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20capital. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sexual capital,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20capital.
Source: sexual capital on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.