Virginity
/vərˈdʒɪnəti/noun
The state of having never engaged in sexual intercourse, or the state traditionally associated with it.
Did you know?In late antiquity, Christian writers elevated virginity from a social status into a spiritually powerful vocation, especially for women who chose lifelong celibacy.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
virginitas
“Maidenhood or the condition of being a virgin”
Late Latin
Latin
virginitatem
“Accusative form of virginitas, used in Christian and ecclesiastical writing for virginity”
12th Century
Old French
virginité
“Virginity or maidenhood”
13th Century
Middle English
virginite
“Virginity, chastity, or the condition of being unmarried and sexually untouched”
Modern English
English
virginity
“The state of never having engaged in sexual intercourse”