Definition and Pronunciation
First sex (pronounced: /fɜrst sɛks/) is an informal phrase that refers to a person’s first act of sexual intercourse. It is similar in meaning to first intercourse or losing virginity, but it is less formal and more commonly used in everyday speech.
Easy Explanation
“First sex” means having sex for the very first time. For example, if someone says “my first sex happened in college,” they are talking about their first sexual experience.
Grammatical Formation
- Adjective + Noun: first (initial) + sex (sexual activity or intercourse).
- Related expressions: first sexual experience, first time, sexual debut.
Word Comparisons
- First sex vs. losing virginity: losing virginity = more common, with cultural/moral weight; first sex = casual, straightforward.
- First sex vs. first intercourse: intercourse = clinical/formal; first sex = informal.
- First sex vs. sexual debut: sexual debut = neutral/academic; first sex = simple, everyday.
Connotations
- Neutral to informal: straightforward, often used in personal conversations.
- Positive: milestone, intimacy, new experience.
- Sensitive: can also carry emotional weight, nervousness, or regret.
Meaning with Prepositions
- First sex at: first sex at age 18.
- First sex before: first sex before marriage.
- First sex after: first sex after wedding night.
Real-Life Examples
- She described her first sex as awkward but memorable.
- Health surveys ask about the age of first sex to study sexual behavior.
- First sex can be an emotional milestone in a person’s life.
- He regretted his first sex because it was rushed and unplanned.
Synonyms
first sexual experience, first intercourse, losing virginity, sexual debut, sexual initiation
Antonyms
virginity, chastity, abstinence, celibacy, inexperience
Related Terms
- Virginity – state of never having had sex.
- First time – neutral way of referring to first experience.
- Sexual initiation – broader term for starting sexual activity.
- Defloration – archaic term for women’s first intercourse.
Common Collocations
- first sex experience
- age of first sex
- first sex before marriage
- first sex survey
- first sex story
Idiomatic and Figurative Usage
- Usually literal, but occasionally appears in survey titles, books, or informal storytelling.
- Rarely used figuratively outside sexual contexts.
Sample Sentences
- Her first sex was with her long-term boyfriend.
- The study measured the average age of first sex among teenagers.
- He remembered his first sex as both exciting and confusing.
- She waited until marriage for her first sex.
Connection to Sexuality
Yes, directly. “First sex” refers explicitly to sexual intercourse and is a central term in discussions of virginity, sexual health, and intimacy.
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