Nonconsensual

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Done without permission or agreement, especially regarding intimate or personal matters
2. Taking place without the agreement or permission of all involved parties, particularly in contexts of intimacy or personal interactions
3. Occurring in situations where consent has not been obtained from one or more individuals, often with serious implications

Etymology: "Nonconsensual" is a plain formation: the prefix "non-", meaning "not," attached to "consensual," which itself comes from "consent," ultimately from the Latin "consentire," "to agree together." So the word literally describes something that lacks mutual agreement. The prefix is an English building block that can be fixed to almost any adjective, which is why "non-" words multiply so readily in technical and legal writing. The spelling appears both with and without the hyphen. The unhyphenated form is the more common in modern usage, and both are accepted as correct. The word is a recent formation built from long-established parts, so its history lies in the components rather than in any single moment of coinage.

Synonyms: forced, involuntary

Antonyms: consensual, voluntary