venereal

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /vəˈnɪriəl/ UK /vəˈnɪəriəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #33020

Meanings

1

adj
relating to sexual intercourse, sexual desire, or the genitals

The older medical text used venereal to describe sexual appetite.
2

adj
relating to a disease transmitted primarily through sexual contact

The clinic specialized in the diagnosis of venereal diseases.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to sexual... sexual genital

2 adj · relating to a disease... sexually transmitted

Word family

Derived forms venereallyvenerology

Related forms Venusaphrodisiac

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

venereal disease
an illness passed from one person to another through sexual contact

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English venereal and Latin venereus, 'of sexual love,' from Venus, the Roman goddess of love. The disease sense developed from the association with sexual contact.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

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