Voyeur

A voyeur is a person who finds sexual arousal in watching others undress or engage in sexual activity, often without joining in. The word comes from the French voyeur, meaning watcher. In sex-positive and kink communities, voyeurism can be an ethical practice when everyone involved gives clear, enthusiastic consent, and it often pairs with exhibitionism, where a partner enjoys being watched. This is very different from non-consensual watching, such as spying on someone who expects privacy, which is a violation and is illegal in many places. Clinicians also distinguish everyday voyeuristic interest from voyeuristic disorder, a diagnosis reserved for cases involving distress, impairment, or acting on urges without consent.