erotica

noun

erot·​i·​ca i-ˈrä-ti-kə 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: literary or artistic works having an erotic theme or quality

2

: depictions of things erotic

Examples of erotica in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For centuries, artists have used erotica to celebrate desire, challenge repression, and (sometimes literally) carve out space for self-expression. —Chris Erik Thomas, Them, 10 Feb. 2025

Reubens was supposed to sit for a final interview that would have delved deeper into his second arrest, which suggested that his collection of vintage erotica contained images of minors. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025

The evocation of the boy’s impure actions, as well as the undertow of sexuality in both his parish priest’s solicitude and his father’s violence, caught the attention of the censors, who typically busied themselves outlawing pulp erotica. —Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

While some might, like me, discover their taste for BDSM through audio or visual erotica, many people’s first introduction to the practice is through much more mainstream media. —Varuna Srinivasan, Allure, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek erōtika, neuter plural of erōtikos

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

erotica

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

erot·​i·​ca i-ˈrät-i-kə 

: literary or artistic works having an erotic theme or quality