rape

This word has several meanings, but one is by far the most important in present-day English. Most often, it means the crime of forcing sexual penetration or sexual activity on someone without consent. In plain terms, the act is defined by the absence of real agreement. Consent must be given freely, and it can be refused or withdrawn. If someone is threatened, forced, heavily pressured, asleep, unconscious, below the age of consent, or unable to understand the situation because of drink, drugs, or illness, there is no valid consent.

In this main sense, the word refers to a serious violent offense with deep physical and emotional effects. It can apply in different situations, including attacks by strangers, abuse by someone known to the victim, assault within marriage or a relationship, and cases involving force, threats, coercion, or an object. The responsibility always lies with the offender, not with the person harmed.

There is also a separate noun sense in British and agricultural English: the word can mean the rapeseed plant, an oilseed crop with bright yellow flowers. You may see this in phrases such as "fields of rape" or in older farming writing, although many modern writers prefer "rapeseed" to avoid confusion.

A further older literary sense refers to violent plunder, spoiling, or destruction, as in phrases about the "rape" of a city or of the land. That use survives mainly in historical, poetic, or strongly rhetorical writing and can sound severe or dated today.