One-night stand should not be confused with nightstand.
A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performance by an entertainer at a venue. The practice can be described as "sexual activity without emotional commitment or future involvement".[1] [2]
See also: Fornication.
The one-night stand is the most common form of infidelity[1] and is often used in research, polls and surveys to define the level of promiscuity in a society at any given time.[3] It has been suggested that such an act can be as threatening to a relationship as a long-term affair:
Some women have suggested that women who feel sexually insecure or unfulfilled should seek out one-night stands for personal growth and fulfillment. One writes, "[a] one-night stand is the erotic manifestation of carpe diem— only we are seizing the night instead of the day".[4] Another source advises women seeking empowerment to "jumpstart your heyday by having a one-night stand",[5] and clarifies that the one-night stand should be a conscious decision.[5]
The prevalence of one-night stands has been abetted by the advent of online dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr, which allow people to connect for purposes including sexual encounters, although these tools can also be used to seek longer-term relationship partners.[6]
Relationship therapist Laura Berman suggests that the circumstances that lead to such an encounter do not necessarily preclude a later relationship:In contrast to a one-night stand, if the individuals involved have recurrent sexual contact without romantic involvement, that is considered a casual sexual relationship.[7] [8] [9]