Prostitutors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who engage in or offer sexual services in exchange for money or goods; those who practice or act as prostitutes; persons involved in the commercial sex trade
2. People who provide sexual acts for compensation; those who perform as prostitutes; individuals participating in transactional sexual activity
3. Persons who undertake sexual services for payment; those who function as prostitutes; agents in the business of commercialized sexual services

Etymology: "Prostitutors" is the plural of "prostitutor," which is formed from "prostitute" plus the agent suffix "-or," so it names the people who carry out the act rather than the act itself. The plural simply applies that agent sense to more than one person. The base word carries the more interesting history. "Prostitute" comes from Latin "prostituere," meaning to expose publicly or offer for sale, built from "pro-" (forward, in front of) and "statuere" (to set up, place). Its original sense was broad and not tied to sex: to put something forward or display it, and by extension to debase or offer oneself for hire. The sexual meaning developed in the sense of selling oneself, and English has used the word in that narrower way for centuries.

Synonyms: prostitutes, sex workers, escorts, call girls, harlots

Antonyms: clients, customers, patrons, johns