virgin
/ˈvɝd͡ʒɪn/noun, adjective
virgin is spelled V-I-R-G-I-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, virgin means “A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or (uncommonly) an animal that has never mated” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of virgin is virgins.
How many letters and syllables are in virgin?
| Letters | 6: V-I-R-G-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 22 times per million words; the 3,939th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is virgin?
Virgin appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce virgin?
- UK /ˈvɜːd͡ʒɪn/
- US /ˈvɝd͡ʒɪn/
- /ˈvøːd͡ʒɪn/
Virgin has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-virgin.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of virgin
- virgins plural
- more virgin comparative
- most virgin superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does virgin mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person who has never had sexual intercourse, or (uncommonly) an animal that has never mated.
On the other hand, the daughter of a clergyman repeatedly performed fellatio instead of genital intercourse so that she could remain a virgin.
- 2
A person who has never engaged in any sexual activity at all.
- 3
Someone vowed to virginity (usually a woman and often a consecrated virgin), or someone who died in defense of their virginity; (especially) one venerated as a saint.
In its list of saints, the Catholic Church classifies St. Agnes, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux as virgins.
- 4
informalOne who has never used or experienced a specified thing.
I've never eaten tofu before–you could say I'm a tofu virgin.
- 5
Any of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
- 6
A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect.
adjective
- 1
In a state of virginity; chaste, not having had sexual intercourse.
- 2
Of a physical object, untouched.
- 3
Not yet cultivated, explored, or exploited by humans or humans of certain civilizations.
virgin prairie
- 4
Inexperienced.
- 5
Of olive oil, obtained by mechanical means, so that the oil is not altered.
- 6
Of mixed drinks, not containing alcohol.
a virgin daiquiri
noun
- 1
A representation (picture, statue etc.) of Virgin Mary.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Virgin in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vierge, puceau, pucelle |
| German | Jungfrau , jungfräulich , nativ |
| Portuguese | virgem , virginal |
| Spanish | virgen, doncel, doncella, señorita , virginal, casto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does virgin come from?
From Middle English virgine, from Old French virgine, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. Doublet of Virgo. Displaced native Old English fǣmne.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).