ENGLISH
REFERENCE

masturbation

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˌmæstɝˈbeɪʃən// UK //mˌɑːstəbˈeɪʃən// mas·tur·ba·tion Vulgar

n. the act of touching your own body for sexual pleasure. It is a private activity that most people consider a normal part of human life.

n. the stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or orgasm. While historically stigmatised, it is treated in modern clinical contexts as a standard aspect of human sexual behaviour.


SIMPLE

Many doctors say that masturbation is a healthy part of life.

CONTEXTUAL

The health class included a section on masturbation to help students understand their own bodies and sexual development.

COMPLEX

The shift in medical discourse during the twentieth century moved masturbation from being viewed as a pathological concern to being recognised as a common and harmless practice.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French masturbation, New Latin masturbātiō, masturbātiōnem. By surface analysis, masturbat(e) + -ion.

Usage

Uncountable in its general sense; rarely used in the plural.

© 2026 English Reference