1. voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried people
Usage: formal or religious context; often considered morally or religiously wrong

Examples

• In many religious traditions, fornication is considered a sin.
• The church condemned fornication as immoral behavior.
• Historical laws in some regions punished fornication severely.
• Religious teachings often emphasize abstinence before marriage to avoid fornication.
• The novel explored themes of forbidden love and fornication in Victorian society.