virgin Meaning & Definition
What Does Virgin Mean?
Virgin is used as a noun meaning a person who has not had sexual intercourse. It is also used to mean a person who is inexperienced in a usually specified sphere of activity. As an adjective, it means chaste. As a geographical name, it means river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in southwestern Utah and southeastern Nevada flowing to Lake Mead.
Quick Facts About Virgin
| Part of speech | noun, adjective, geographical name |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈvər-jən/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | virtuous, pure and chaste |
| Antonyms | stale, blemished and broken |
| Plural | virgins |
| Comparative / superlative | more virgin, most virgin |
Virgin Definition (Noun)
- a person who has not had sexual intercourse
- a person who is inexperienced in a usually specified sphere of activity
- an unmarried woman devoted to religion
- virgo
- an absolutely chaste young woman
- an unmarried girl or woman
- virgin mary
- a female animal that has never copulated
Virgin as an Adjective
- chaste
- fresh, unspoiled
- not altered by human activity
a virgin forest
- obtained from the first light pressing and without heating
- being used or worked for the first time see also virgin wool
virgin lumber
- produced directly from ore by primary smelting
- initial, first
- containing no alcohol
a virgin daiquiri
- free of impurity or stain : unsullied
- characteristic of or befitting a virgin : modest
Virgin as a Geographical Name
- river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in southwestern Utah and southeastern Nevada flowing to Lake Mead
Synonyms of Virgin
Antonyms of Virgin
Virgin in a Sentence
In its list of saints, the Catholic Church classifies St. Agnes, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux as virgins.
I've never eaten tofu before—you could say I'm a tofu virgin.
virgin prairie
virgin ecosystem
virgin forest
virgin clay
The virgin lands of the Americas were awaiting the Europeans.
a virgin daiquiri
I've never eaten tofu before – you could say I'm a tofu virgin.
a virgin forest
virgin lumber
encouraged the virgin youths to remain chaste
the state's only remaining virgin forest
his photographs of nudes have such a virgin purity about them that only a prude would find them objectionable
a vast expanse of virgin territory
the political analyst's virgin effort at a cloak-and-dagger thriller
a virgin in the world of comedy clubs, he's still learning to deal with hecklers
Word Forms & Grammar
Virgin
Virgins
virgin
virgins
virgin (plural virgins)
virgin (comparative more virgin, superlative most virgin)
Words That Rhyme With Virgin
Origin of Virgin
Origin 1: Middle English, from Anglo-French virgine, from Latin virgin-, virgo young woman, virgin
Origin 2: From Middle English virgine, from Old French virgine, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. Doublet of Virgo. Displaced native Old English fǣmne.
First Known Use
12th century
14th century
How Do You Say Virgin?
The standard pronunciation of virgin is /ˈvər-jən/, spoken in 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (vər).
Common Questions About Virgin
Is virgin a noun or an adjective?
Virgin is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective and a geographical name.
What is another word for virgin?
You can replace virgin with words such as virtuous, pure and chaste. See the full list of virgin synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of virgin?
The opposite of virgin can be expressed with words like stale, blemished, broken and bruised.
What is the plural of virgin?
The plural of virgin is virgins.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of virgin?
The comparative form is more virgin and the superlative form is most virgin.