What is cheating?

That which you do in secret - and choose to keep secret - because you know your spouse or partner would feel hurt, betrayed or devastated that you had turned to another instead of to him/her.

So for me, that definition of "cheating" would include actual intercourse as well as deep conversations (repeatedly, not just one-time intense talks on politics or something), repeated touching or fondling, in person meetings (behind your partner's back and lying about it if asked) and so on. 

In my opinion, cheating is any interaction with someone of the opposite sex(or same sex if you swing that way)that you wouldn't tell your partner about. If it has to be kept private, it's something you shouldn't be doing and is either cheating or close to it.

the males doesnot cheat. he 'steps out'. the female woemen are the cheating breed and manipulate the male into all manner of diseat and convaluting. they are bad people,mother told me... never to go near them however. i , several times in a night have questions in my head. and they are often answered. i would not rule out marriage

Hi, ------ You are 100% right, women and men see "cheating" differently..... as they do in many other fields (please read an excellent book "Women from venus men from marc" by D"r grey .....  great insights).  As per the definition: "Cheating is doing somehing that one would hide from his partner and would be very embaressed if one's partner somehow found out about that event".   It is not limitted to the opposite sex. ------ Best regards,

Aurora ,  I don't call it cheating , one cheats in a game , infidelity is no game it is Infidelity and or Adultery .  There is physical and there is emotional infidelity , one is just as bad as the other .  One who engages in certain behaviors and or conversations behind their partners back that they would not engage in , in front of their partner . Breach of Trust ... Violation of trust . Broken trust not fulfilling a promise of fidelity to ones partner . Deliberate act of dishonesty .  The Ultimate Betrayal .

even if it sounds like its from a dictionary...nicely said Equus.

and oronD , i havent read the book, but i very deep analystic person and i concur that men and women cheat in different ways.  expecially since women are more emotionally dependend and men are more sexually dependent, we have different weaknesses when it comes to the opposite sex and succumbing to temptations.