statutory rape

noun

: sexual intercourse with a person who is below the statutory age of consent

Examples of statutory rape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The potential charges for Abner, which included statutory rape, could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and were also outside the statute of limitations, according to Buccat’s declination memo. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025

Joelle Stark, 40, of Anderson, Mo., is charged with second degree statutory rape. —Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 20 May 2025

In addition to baseball gambling, Rose had other issues, ranging from statutory rape charges to a conviction for tax evasion. —Terence Moore, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

In 2017, Rose was accused of statutory rape from an encounter decades earlier. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for statutory rape

• agape
• escape
• landscape
• lenape
• reshape
• seascape
• soundscape
• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape

Medical Definition

statutory rape

noun

stat·​u·​to·​ry rape ˌstach-ə-ˌtōr-ē- 

: sexual intercourse with a person who is below the age of consent as defined by law

Legal Definition

statutory rape

noun

: rape consisting of sexual intercourse with a person beneath an age (as 14 years) specified by statute

Note: Many state statutes also specify a minimum age of the perpetrator or an age differential (as at least four years) between the perpetrator and the victim. Consent of the victim and belief that the victim is of the age of consent are usually considered immaterial. Statutory rape is now codified under various names, such as rape in the second degree, rape in the third degree, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, and criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.