X-rated

[eks-rey-tid]

adjective

1. (of a motion picture; no longer in official use by the Motion Picture Association of America) having a rating of X; intended for adults only.

2. of or relating to a pornographic film.

3. obscene, sexually explicit, or vulgar: X-rated selfies.

   X-rated dance moves;

   X-rated selfies.

X-rated

adjective

1. (formerly, in Britain) (of a film) considered suitable for viewing by adults only

2. informal,  involving bad language, violence, or sex

   an X-rated conversation

Word History and Origins

Origin of X-rated¹

First recorded in 1970–75; X ³ ( def. 8 ) + rate ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Idioms and Phrases

Sexually explicit, vulgar, or obscene, as in This film should be X-rated; it's not suitable for children. This expression alludes to a rating system established for motion pictures, in which films rated X may not be viewed by persons under the age of 17. [c. 1970]

Example Sentences

He moved to Florida at 19 and relied on exotic dancing and X-rated videos to get by financially.

From Los Angeles Times

By the early 1970s, Peruvian-born filmmaker and actor Carlos Tobalina gained ownership of the theater and changed the programming to focus on pornographic and X-rated films.

From Los Angeles Times

It was an X-rated horror show.

From BBC

They urged justices to restore the rules of an earlier era, when X-rated theaters and bookstores had an adults-only policy.

From Los Angeles Times

In October, he performed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delivering the cleanest comedy sets he’s ever done, giving the Saudis what they wanted — a co-star of “Bad Boys,” one of the country’s biggest blockbuster openings — while dialing back his normally X-rated material to avoid being insulting.

From Los Angeles Times