# sexting

Sending or exchanging sexually suggestive or explicit messages or images through digital communication.

Canonical URL: https://slanglane.com/terms/sexting
Release: expansion-2026-10-20-100
Checked: 2026-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
Register: Adult digital communication
Language: adult vocabulary; non-graphic explanation
Review: editorial

## Meaning

Sexting names sexual communication through messages or images. The word combines the ideas of sex and texting, but the subject is the content of the exchange rather than the particular model of phone or messaging application.

A reference to sexting is not itself an example of an explicit message. A news article, moderation discussion or conversation about boundaries can use the term descriptively. The word alone does not establish who agreed to an exchange, whether material was shared onward, or what a particular message contained.

## Original examples

> They discussed their boundaries around sexting.

In plain English: They discussed what sexual messaging they were comfortable with.

Context: This describes a conversation about boundaries without explicit content.

> The article distinguishes flirting from sexting.

In plain English: The article distinguishes romantic interaction from sexual messaging.

Context: The distinction concerns the content of the communication.

## When it fits

Use it when the sexual nature of a messaging exchange is relevant. Keep descriptions factual and separate an allegation from a confirmed event.

## Mind the context

Do not label every affectionate message this way or treat the word as proof that everyone involved agreed to every use of the material.

## Important differences

### flirting

Flirting can communicate romantic interest without sexual messages or images. Sexting specifically concerns sexual content in a digital exchange.

## Backstory

The linked reference documents this meaning. This entry does not establish a single inventor or a first-use date; a dictionary record and a current popularity measurement answer different questions.

## Questions

### Does sexting mean ordinary flirting?

Not necessarily. Flirting is broader; sexting identifies sexual messaging. The words can overlap in a particular exchange without being synonyms.

### Does the term imply that images were sent?

No. Messages alone can fit the meaning. Read the description of the actual exchange rather than assuming an image was involved.

## Sources

- [sexting — meaning and usage](https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=sexting&oldid=92308374) — Wiktionary contributors. Checked 2026-10-20T00:00:00.000Z. Supports: meaning; distinct senses.

Source texts retain their original licenses. Definitions and factual notes are research-informed; examples and usage advice are original SlangLane writing.