Definition of the word onanism

The word "onanism" derives from the biblical story of Onan, a son of Judah in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 38:1-10). In this story, God required Onan to marry his brother's widow and raise an offspring in his brother's name, as a provision for his brother's wife to bear children. However, Onan refrained from fulfilling his duty and spilled his semen on the ground, thereby preventing his wife from conceiving. The term "onanism" has since been used to describe the deliberate practice of preventing ejaculation during sexual intercourse or abstaining from sexual activity altogether, particularly by men, in order to avoid impregnating their partners. Its origins from a biblical story give the term a moral and religious connotation, as Onan's actions were perceived by some as an act of disobedience to God's will.