prostitute
n. countablen. a person who has sex with others in exchange for money. This is a very direct and serious word for a specific job.
n. a person who engages in sexual activity with clients in exchange for payment. Often carries a clinical or legalistic tone; frequently replaced by 'sex worker' in modern sociological and rights-based contexts.
The law regulates how the city treats a prostitute.
Historical records from the port city show that a prostitute could earn more than a common laborer during the gold rush.
The documentary explores the complex social factors that might lead an individual to work as a prostitute, focusing on economic necessity and the lack of social safety nets.
From Latin prōstitūtus, past participle of prōstituō, from prō̆ (“for, before”) + statuō (“to set up, to erect”).
Commonly used in legal and historical texts; 'sex worker' is the preferred neutral term in modern professional speech.