PROSTITUTION. The common lewdness of a woman for gain. 2. In all well regulated communities this has been considered a heinous offence, for which the woman may be punished, and the keeper of a house of prostitution may be indicted for keeping a common nuisance. 3. So much does the law abhor this offence, that a landlord cannot recover for the use and occupation of a house let for the purpose of prostitution. 1 Esp. Cas. 13; 1 Bos. & Pull. 340, n. 4. In a figurative sense, it signifies the bad use which a corrupt judge makes of the law, by making it subservient to his interest; as, the prostitution of the law, the prostitution of justice.

Source: Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
 

Prostitution \Pros`ti*tu"tion\, n. [L. prostitutio: cf. F. prostitution.]

1. The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body to an indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness of a woman. [1913 Webster]

2. The act of setting one's self to sale, or of devoting to infamous purposes what is in one's power; as, the prostitution of abilities; the prostitution of the press. "Mental prostitution." --Byron. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

77 Moby Thesaurus words for "prostitution": Cosa Nostra, Mafia, abuse, abuse of office, adulteration, befouling, befoulment, black market, bootlegging, contamination, conversion, corrupt administration, corruption, debasement, defalcation, defilement, degradation, desecration, devaluation, diversion, embezzlement, envenoming, festering, fouling, gambling, gray market, harlotry, illegal commerce, illegal operations, illegitimate business, illicit business, infection, loan-sharking, lowering, maladministration, malfeasance, malpractice, malversation, misapplication, misappropriation, misconduct, misemployment, misfeasance, mishandling, mismanagement, misusage, misuse, moonshining, narcotics traffic, organized crime, pandering, peculation, perversion, pilfering, pimping, poisoning, pollution, poor stewardship, profanation, protection racket, racket, shady dealings, solicitation, soliciting, streetwalking, suppuration, the rackets, the syndicate, traffic in women, usury, vice, violation, vitiation, white slavery, whoredom, whoremastery, whoremonging

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

prostitution

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Prostitution \Pros`ti*tu"tion\, n. [L. prostitutio: cf. F. prostitution.]

1. The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body to an indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness of a woman.

2. The act of setting one's self to sale, or of devoting to infamous purposes what is in one's power; as, the prostitution of abilities; the prostitution of the press. ``Mental prostitution.'' --Byron.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)