Definition

1. Noun:
   • Forbidden or taboo sexual intercourse between individuals: "Criminal congress" refers to sexual acts that are prohibited by law or considered socially unacceptable, often involving specific relationships or circumstances deemed illegal.

Usage

• This term is a formal legal term, primarily used in historical or specific legal contexts to describe unlawful sexual relations.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in legal documents, historical texts, or discussions of jurisprudence.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The old statute defined adultery as a form of criminal congress.
  • Charges were filed for criminal congress due to the nature of the prohibited relationship.

Advanced Usage

• Legal Context: The phrase is often used in legal language to categorize specific sexual offenses under statutory law.
  • The case revolved around the definition of criminal congress in the state's penal code.

Variants and Related Words

• Carnal knowledge (n): A legal term often used synonymously to refer to sexual intercourse, sometimes in the context of unlawful acts.
• Illicit intercourse (n): A more general phrase for unlawful or immoral sexual relations.

Synonyms

• Unlawful sexual intercourse: Sexual acts that violate the law.
• Forbidden coitus: A formal term for prohibited sexual intercourse.

Notes

• "Criminal congress" is a compound noun where "criminal" modifies "congress." The core term being explained is the entire phrase "criminal congress."
• The term "congress" here is an archaic or formal word for sexual intercourse, not to be confused with its more common meaning of a formal meeting or legislative body.

Noun

1. forbidden or tabu sexual intercourse between individuals