Meaning & use
fornicators
Last updated
“fornicators” is a form of “fornicator”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralformaldisapprovingreligion
People who have sexual intercourse outside marriage, especially when this is considered morally wrong.
Grammar: This is the plural form; the singular is 'fornicator' and refers to one such person.
Patterns
- fornicators and adulterers
The old sermon warned that fornicators would be punished.
In some religious communities, fornicators are excluded from certain rituals.
The law once treated fornicators more harshly than it does today.
Word forms
| singular | fornicator |
|---|
Common combinations
- fornicators and adulterers
- The preacher listed fornicators and adulterers among those who must repent.
- punish fornicators
- Historically, some societies would punish fornicators with public shaming.
- condemn fornicators
- The letter condemns fornicators but offers them a path to forgiveness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- adulterers
- This specifically means people who have sex with someone other than their spouse, while fornicators may be unmarried.
- sinners
- A broader religious term for anyone who breaks divine law, not only sexual sin.
Word family
- fornicate verb
- To have sex outside marriage, considered sinful in some religions.
- fornication noun
- The act of having sex outside marriage.
Commonly confused: fornicators or formicators?
fornicators vs formicators
A misspelling; 'formicators' is not a standard English word. The correct spelling is 'fornicators'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fornicators' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Fornicators' is a plural noun meaning people who have sex outside marriage, so it fits as the object of 'shunned'. Option An is grammatically possible but semantically odd because the word is not used for general charity work. Option C uses the noun as a verb, and option D uses a plural noun with a singular article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fornicators”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.