In sex, an orgy is a sexual activity in which four or more participants are present and involved in sexual activity with each other. In some cultures, it has been practiced as part of a communal ritual or religious practice. Within an orgy, instances of bisexuality may occur, but are not mandatory. The concept of an orgy in Western culture also carries a connotation of unrestrained and outlandish behavior.

Strictly speaking, group sex involving three participants is called a ménage à trois or threesome and isn't normally classified as an orgy.

Participation in an orgy is a common sexual fantasy. Most people have only seen an orgy in explicit films or pornography.

Practical difficulties in participating in an orgy include figuring out where all the arms and legs go, figuring out what positions work and in what complexity, and addressing in advance such issues as consent and jealousy. A "drunken orgy" resulting from intoxication may leave the participants embarrassed and upset in the morning when the hangover strikes.

A gang bang is intercourse between one woman, or man, and a group of men, one after another. An alternate slang phrase for this practice is "pulling a train." If this kind of orgy is not consensual, it is rape.

Orgies in Fiction

The movie Caligula has several orgy scenes, not all of them erotic.

Orgies serve a central ceremonial role in the futuristic society described in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. This is a historically accurate use.

In literature, the word "orgy" appears in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in which the main character tries to figure out what an orgy is so that he and his playmates can participate in one, and also in the novel Peter Pan and Wendy.