When we talk about sex , often were really referring to intercourse. But theres so much more to a satisfying sex life than just penetration. And when we broaden our definition of sex to be more inclusive, theres a whole world of pleasure to be gained.

Thats where outercourse comes in.

Outercourse is really an umbrella term for a wide variety of sexual activities that dont involve any type of penetration, clinical sexologist and sexuality educator Lawrence Siegel told HuffPost.

Its a way of increasing sexual passion and eroticism, he continued. Any rubbing, touching, kissing or caressing that doesnt involve any part of one body entering any part of another. It can also involve mutual masturbation, scissoring and dry humping. (That being said, what constitutes outercourse may vary person to person. For instance, some people believe fingering and oral sex are examples of outercourse, while others do not.)

What many people call foreplay would be considered outercourse. But when we refer to all of these sexual acts as just foreplay, it reinforces the idea that penetration is the main event . In reality, these pleasurable activities can be a satisfying sexual experience on their own, even when they dont lead to intercourse, Siegel said.