What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Mistress vs Prostitute - What's the difference?

mistress | prostitute |

As nouns the difference between mistress and prostitute

is that mistress is a woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership while prostitute is a person who performs sexual activity for payment, especially a woman.

As a verb prostitute is

to perform sexual activity for money.

mistress

English

Noun

(es)
  • A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
  • * , chapter=19
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=At the far end of the houses the head gardener stood waiting for his mistress , and he gave her strips of bass to tie up her nosegay. This she did slowly and laboriously, with knuckly old fingers that shook.}}
  • A female teacher.
  • A female partner in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations.
  • A dominatrix.
  • * 2006 , Amelia May Kingston, The Triumph of Hope (page 376)
  • As part of BDSM play they can enhance the domineering tread of a mistress or hobble the steps of a slave.
  • A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
  • * Addison
  • A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic.
  • A woman regarded with love and devotion; a sweetheart.
  • (Clarendon)
  • (Scotland) A married woman; a wife.
  • * Sir (Walter Scott)
  • Several of the neighbouring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening.
  • (obsolete) The jack in the game of bowls.
  • (Beaumont and Fletcher)
  • female companion to a master
  • Usage notes

    In the sexual sense, mistress is narrowly taken to mean a woman involved in a committed'' extramarital relationship (an affair), often supported financially (a kept woman). It is broadly taken to mean a woman involved in an extramarital relationship regardless of the level of commitment, but requires more than a single act of adultery. Tiger Woods Does Not Have 11 “Mistresses”: His many paramours aren’t committed enough to merit that term. by Jesse Sheidlower, '', Dec. 10, 2009.

    Synonyms

    * (woman with control, authority or ownership''): boss (''applicable to either sex''), head (''applicable to either sex''), leader (''applicable to either sex ) * (female teacher ): schoolmarm * (woman who displaces a wife in the affections of a man''): bit on the side (''applicable to either sex ), fancy woman, , goomah * See also

    Antonyms

    Male equivalents: * (woman with control, authority or ownership ): master * (female teacher ): master * (female partner in an extramarital affair ): cicisbeo, fancy man * (dominatrix ): master

    Derived terms

    * headmistress * mistresshood * mistresslike * mistressship * mistressy * wardrobe mistress

    References

    See also

    * miss * Mrs

    prostitute

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who performs sexual activity for payment, especially a woman
  • I currently work as a prostitute in order to pay off my university debts .
  • A person who is perceived as engaging in sexual activity with many people.
  • A person who does, or offers to do, an activity for money, despite personal dislike or dishonour.
  • Usage notes

    * The noun is gender-neutral.

    Synonyms

    * (person who performs sexual activity for payment) See also * (person perceived as engaging in sexual activity) See also , * (person who does an activity for money) sell out

    Verb

    (prostitut)
  • (usually reflexively) To perform sexual activity for money
  • To make another person, or organisation, prostitute themselves.
  • * Bible, Leviticus xix. 29
  • Do not prostitute thy daughter.
  • (derogatory) To use one's talents in return for money or fame
  • (figuratively) To exploit for base purposes; to whore.
  • Yet again a commercial firm had prostituted a traditional song by setting an advertising jingle to its tune.