lost one's virginity
Initial sexual experience
To lose one's virginity is to have sexual intercourse for the first time.
The expression treats virginity as something possessed and then surrendered or given away: She lost her virginity at sixteen.
The passive construction lost rather than an active verb reflects cultural ambivalence about first sexual experiences—something that happens to a person rather than something they do.
- pubertySexual development stage
- birds and beesEuphemism for sex education
- rite of passageTransition-marking ceremony
- hymenVaginal opening membrane
- self-discoveryLearning one's true character
innocence · awakening · sexual intercourse · chastity · empowerment · intimacy · stigma · coming-of-age · regret · walk of shame · one night stand · liberation · taboo · abstinence · first love · high school sweetheart · promiscuity · vulnerability