Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1991
Cybersex
cyber- sex
- Meaning
- Sexual activity conducted via computer-mediated communication.
- Source words
- cyber- + sex
- Coined by
- unknown
- Year
- 1991
Background
Originated in Usenet and AOL chatroom usage. The prefix *cyber-* (from *cybernetics*) was productive through the 1990s before becoming a dated marker for that decade's internet discourse.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
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