Harlot – An unfaithful and wanton woman who indiscriminately intermingles for the purpose of pleasure and/or convenience, which usually includes sexual pleasure and adultery.
The modern definition is – A promiscuous woman.
The point of confusion of this word is compounded by the modern definition’s use of “promiscuous”. It is vague and inaccurate.
God used this word 50 times in Scripture, with the overwhelming majority of uses referring to Israel’s unfaithfulness to God: 42 times to Israel in the Masoretic Text Old Testament; 3 times to Israel in the Koine Greek Old Testament; 2 times to the Body of Christ in the Dispensation of Grace; and 3 times to Israel in their tribulation books.
Today, the definition has been convoluted to simply mean “archaic word for whore”. Probably influenced by an ignorance of Scripture.
The problem with the “new” definition is that God used both words, whore and harlot, and they are not interchangeable. The elements that constitute whoredom are different than those for a harlot.
See also Adultery, Archaic, Promiscuous, Prostitute, Wanton, Whore