To me it means having sex with someone while you're not married -- either to them or to anyone else.
I wouldn't use the term to refer to a married person having sex with someone other than their spouse, and "pre-marital sex" does not seem an exact synonym because that implies you are going to marry your partner at some point in the future (which may not be the case).
New2grammarSo swinging and cheating are examples of sex outside marriage?
To slightly revise my earlier reply... I think that you can understand this phrase literally -- to mean sex with someone to whom you are not married, irrespective of whether you are married to someone else. However, the phrase is often trotted out when discussing moral issues surrounding sexual behaviour, and this is the context that came to my mind first. In this common context, I take it to exclude "cheating" because it's usually a "given" that cheating on one's spouse is not to be condoned.
Sorry if I still don't get it. Here's what I understand from your replies.
Literally, the phrase means pre-marital AND extra-marital sex. However, it's commonly used to describe non-extra marital sex (cheating). To me, that is pre-marital sex.
New2grammar Sorry if I still don't get it. Here's what I understand from your replies. Literally, the phrase means pre-marital AND extra-marital sex. However, it's commonly used to describe non-extra marital sex (cheating). To me, that is pre-marital sex
Literally, the phrase means pre-marital AND extra-marital sex. However, it's commonly used to describe non-extra marital sex (cheating). To me, that is pre-marital sex
I think you're less confused than me on this one, so I gracefully bow out. I hope someone else can nail it!
