prostitute

prostitute — noun

1. a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someon

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who receives payment in exchange for performing sexual acts with someone

Example

Police rescued several young women who had been forced to work as prostitutes in the city.

passive: forced to work as prostitutes

Andrés met with a group of former prostitutes who now run a support centre.

collocation: former prostitutes

Common collocations
  • work as a prostitute
  • former prostitute
  • male prostitute
  • child prostitute
  • street prostitute
Synonyms
  • sex worker

    broader, more respectful term that includes all types of commercial sex work

  • hooker

    informal and often derogatory; not suitable for serious or formal contexts

  • escort

    euphemistic term; can refer to someone who provides companionship without necessarily implying sex

Grammar Patterns

[countable] a prostitute

Usage Note

Some people find this term offensive; 'sex worker' is often preferred as a more neutral and respectful description.

Common Mistakes

She works as a prostitute' (may cause offence).
She works as a sex worker.
'sex worker' is generally considered more respectful and professional.

prostitute — verb

prostitute — adjective

Word family

  • prostitution
    nounB2
  • prostituted
    adjectiveC1
  • prostituting
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five terms refer to people who receive payment for sexual activity, but they differ sharply in register and connotation. 'Prostitute' is the most direct and commonly taught term, though it can carry stigma; it is acceptable in news reporting and academic writing. 'Sex worker' is the modern preferred term, broader in scope (it includes strippers and porn performers) and carries less moral judgment — use it in formal, respectful, or policy contexts. 'Hooker' is informal slang, often derogatory, and best avoided in serious writing. 'Escort' is a euphemism: it can imply a companion who may or may not provide sexual services, and it sounds more socially acceptable. 'Courtesan' is historical and refers to a high-status companion or mistress in aristocratic circles, essentially a euphemism for a high-end prostitute in past centuries. In everyday writing, 'sex worker' is the safest choice; 'prostitute' remains the clearest for straightforward definitional purposes.

prostitute ↗sex workerhookerescort ↗courtesan

Common collocations

Nouns

  • child prostitute
  • male prostitute
  • street prostitute
  • former prostitute

Phrases

  • forced into prostitution
  • turn to prostitution

Prepositions

  • as (work as a prostitute)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Derived from Latin 'prostituere', meaning 'to expose publicly, offer for sale'. This breaks down into 'pro-' (forward, before) and 'statuere' (to set up, place). The original idea was of placing something out in public for sale. The word entered English through Middle French 'prostituer' in the 1500s, initially referring to the act of offering someone for sexual services. The figurative sense — debasing one's talents or principles for gain — developed later in the 1600s.