Casual dating glossary
What Is NSA? Casual Dating Terms in Plain English
Hookup, fling, ghosting and the rest, each defined once and checked against a named source.
NSA stands for no strings attached: sex with nothing owed afterwards. Casual sex is sex that both people have agreed asks for no promises about what comes next. A hookup is a casual sexual encounter, a one-night stand is one that happens once, and a fling is a short, casual sexual involvement.
Why does everyone mean something different?
Because most of these are slang, and slang stretches. Wikipedia’s page on hookup culture calls the word ambiguous: it can describe a kiss or any physical sexual activity. Ask what someone means before you agree to it.
The agreement
What does NSA mean, and what are you agreeing to?
Three letters, a lot of expectations. Say them out loud.
- NSA
- Wiktionary lists it first as the initialism of no strings attached. The same letters also stand for no sugar added, not sexually active and the National Security Agency, so read the context before you assume.
- No strings
- For Dictionary.com the phrase means ‘without conditions or restrictions’, and the expression goes back to the mid-1900s. In dating, neither of you owes the other anything beyond what you both agreed.
NSA still takes a conversation. Before you meet, settle how often you will see each other, whether either of you sees other people and how you will say it is over.
If one of you wants the terms to change, say so, and let the other say no. The consent guide shows how.
What happens
Hookup, casual sex, one-night stand, fling: what is the difference?
- Casual sex
- Wiktionary defines it as sexual activity undertaken without emotional attachment or personal familiarity between the people involved. Wikipedia says much the same.
- Hookup
- Informal, says Dictionary.com: a sexual encounter with no promise of more, or the person you have one with. The same entry dates the noun to between 1900 and 1905 and lists plugs and connections before the sexual sense.
- One-night stand
- Dictionary.com lists an older theatre meaning first, then calls the sexual sense a single, unrepeated encounter, as one lasting for just one night. Wikipedia says the sexual sense has been in use since the 1930s. Planning one? Read one night stand.
- Fling
- Wiktionary describes a fling as a short, often sexual involvement, and Wikipedia lists it beside no strings attached and situationship as names for a casual arrangement. Neither gives a length, so agree what short means to you.
When it gets blurry
Situationships and ghosting: when nobody says what this is
Situationship
Informal, first recorded between 2005 and 2010 according to Dictionary.com: a sexual or emotionally close arrangement that the people in it have not defined, and which can come with no exclusivity. Wikipedia says researchers describe affection without clarity or labels.
Ghosting
Dictionary.com calls it the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without explanation, often in dating. Wikipedia traces the term to the early 2000s.
If you want out, one kind line beats silence. If someone keeps messaging after you have said no, that is a job for the block button, covered on the safety page, not a vanishing act.
On a profile
What do DTF and local mean on a profile?
DTF
Wiktionary labels it vulgar internet slang for being willing to have casual sex. It is blunt, and plain words on your profile say the same with more charm.
Local
Dictionary.com ties it to a particular place, or to a city, town or small district. It lists neither ‘local sex’ nor ‘local singles’ as a phrase, so on this site it just means near enough to meet.
Not sure what to put on your own? The profile tips guide shows how to say it plainly.
Quick answers on casual dating terms
What does NSA mean on a dating site?
On a dating site, NSA means no strings attached: casual sex where neither person expects more than you both agreed. The letters can also mean no sugar added, not sexually active or the National Security Agency, so read the context before you assume.
What is a hookup, and how is it different from a one-night stand?
A hookup is a casual sexual encounter, and Dictionary.com also uses the word for the person you have one with. A one-night stand is a single, unrepeated encounter, as Dictionary.com puts it. Hookup can mean anything from kissing to sex, so ask what the other person has in mind.
What can I put on my profile instead of slang?
One plain sentence about what you want, with tags to back it up. Tags such as Short-term Fun, Open to Whatever or Private Meets show what you are after, and the daily suggestions weigh what members are open to. Your sentence removes the guesswork.
Sources and dates
Where these definitions come from
This guide is general information about language, and slang moves.
- Dictionary.com: hookup, one-night stand, no strings attached, situationship, ghosting and local (read 3 November 2026).
- Wiktionary: NSA, DTF, casual sex and fling (read 3 November 2026).
- Wikipedia: casual sex, hookup culture, casual dating, one-night stand and ghosting (read 3 November 2026).
Know what you want? Put it on your profile
Pick your tags, write one plain line and start looking.
Make a profile