virginity
UK: vəˈdʒɪnəti | US: vərˈdʒɪnəti
n. the state of never having had sexual intercourse
n. the quality of being innocent, pure, or untouched
virginity = virgin<pure, untouched> + ity<noun suffix>
- virgin: From Latin virgo (genitive virginis), meaning "maiden, unmarried woman" or figuratively "pure, untouched." The root implies youth and chastity.
- ity: A noun-forming suffix from Latin -itas, indicating a state or condition.
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin virgo, which originally referred to a young woman of marriageable age, often with connotations of purity. Over time, virgin evolved to emphasize chastity, especially in religious contexts (e.g., the Virgin Mary). The suffix -ity was added in Middle English to abstract the concept into a state of being. The modern sense of virginity reflects both physical and symbolic purity.
She valued her virginity and chose to wait until marriage.
The concept of virginity varies across cultures.
Losing one’s virginity is often seen as a rite of passage.
The poem symbolizes the virginity of nature before human interference.
Medieval tales often idealized female virginity as a virtue.