1
: unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception compare sexual assault, statutory rape
2
: an outrageous violation
3
: an act or instance of robbing or despoiling or carrying away a person by force
raped; raping
raper
noun
Examples of rape in a Sentence
Noun (1)
an international law defining rape as a war crime
the legend of the rape of the Sabine women by the ancient Romans was frequently depicted in classical art
Verb
He is accused of raping the girl.
She was raped by a fellow student.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The claims against Hammer, including allegations of physical abuse and rape, were made by several women in 2021.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Those elements are mixed in with stories of rape, misogyny and ancestral theft that have occurred over generations, but the blend isn’t easy to follow and Chong’s message tends to get lost in the confusion.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
The Pillowcase Rapist was one of the most notorious serial rapists in Florida history — with police in 2020 linking Koehler to dozens of rapes from years ago through DNA.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The third count of rape resulted in a hung jury.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
In December 2024, Masterson’s legal team filed an appeal challenging his 2023 rape conviction.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Terence Crosbie, 39, a firefighter from Dublin, Ireland, was convicted of rape in Boston on Friday.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The next execution is that of Norman Mearle Grim in Florida for the 1998 rape and murder of his neighbor, a 41-year-old lawyer named Cynthia Campbell.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Masterson was charged in 2020 with raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
The 49-year-old actor is serving time at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, after being found guilty in 2023 of raping two women, a conviction that followed a high-profile retrial.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
No Haitians have been convicted of raping underage girls in, what, two whole weeks now.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
They are mistreated, raped, killed.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
The women, prosecutors say, were often drugged before they were raped.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Giuffre claims in the book that she was raped three total imes by Prince Andrew.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
An Arizona biker is on trial facing the death penalty for a 2014 attack that killed one woman and left another raped and wounded.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
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Noun
One also said a rape occurred at a nearby hotel.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The claims against Hammer, including allegations of physical abuse and rape, were made by several women in 2021.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Those elements are mixed in with stories of rape, misogyny and ancestral theft that have occurred over generations, but the blend isn’t easy to follow and Chong’s message tends to get lost in the confusion.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
The Pillowcase Rapist was one of the most notorious serial rapists in Florida history — with police in 2020 linking Koehler to dozens of rapes from years ago through DNA.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
The third count of rape resulted in a hung jury.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
In December 2024, Masterson’s legal team filed an appeal challenging his 2023 rape conviction.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Terence Crosbie, 39, a firefighter from Dublin, Ireland, was convicted of rape in Boston on Friday.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The next execution is that of Norman Mearle Grim in Florida for the 1998 rape and murder of his neighbor, a 41-year-old lawyer named Cynthia Campbell.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Dahbia Benkired was convicted of raping, torturing and killing Lola Daviet, according the BBC, BFMTV and The New York Times.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Masterson was charged in 2020 with raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
The 49-year-old actor is serving time at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, after being found guilty in 2023 of raping two women, a conviction that followed a high-profile retrial.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
No Haitians have been convicted of raping underage girls in, what, two whole weeks now.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
They are mistreated, raped, killed.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
The women, prosecutors say, were often drugged before they were raped.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Giuffre claims in the book that she was raped three total imes by Prince Andrew.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
An Arizona biker is on trial facing the death penalty for a 2014 attack that killed one woman and left another raped and wounded.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rape. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rape
1 of 3 noun
: an herb related to the mustards that is grown for animals to graze on and for its seeds which are used as birdseed and as a source of oil
compare canola
rape
2 of 3 verb
raped; raping
1
archaic
: to take away by force
2
: to have sexual relations with by force
raper
noun
rape
3 of 3 noun
: an act or instance of raping
Etymology
Noun
Middle English rape "the herb rape," from Latin rapa, rapum "turnip, rape"
Verb
Middle English rapen "to take away by force," from Latin rapere "to seize"
Medical Definition
rape
1 of 3 noun
: a European herb (Brassica napus) of the mustard family grown as a forage crop and for its seeds which yield rapeseed oil and are a bird food see canola sense 1
rape
2 of 3 transitive verb
raped; raping
: to commit rape on
rape
3 of 3 noun
: unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent compare sexual assault, statutory rape
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