What Does Nsa Mean On Dating Sites

Men's Dating

What Does NSA Mean on Dating Sites? (2024)

Hayley Matthews

Written by: Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews

Hayley has over 10 years of experience overseeing content strategy, social media engagement, and article opportunities. She has also written hundreds of informational and entertaining blog posts. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bustle, Cosmo, the Huffington Post, AskMen, and Entrepreneur. When she's not writing about dating news, relationship advice, or her fantasy love affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, she enjoys listening to The Beatles, watching Harry Potter reruns, and drinking IPAs.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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You may have come across the term “NSA” on a dating site or app and wondered what it means. Well, it’s not that complicated. The acronym NSA means “no strings attached.” As in, I’m not looking for a girlfriend, boyfriend, or serious commitment. I just want to have fun.

People who are looking for no-strings-attached dates want a casual sexual encounter without making any promises about the future. Here are some more details about NSA and NSA dating sites known to casual daters who are sexually active.

NSA Means No Strings Attached

A no-strings-attached situation, which can be found on sites like BeNaughty or Zoosk, is when two people want to hook up, either once or on a regular basis, without the “strings” of commitment tying them down. Think Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman in the aptly named “No Strings Attached” movie.

When you’re in an NSA relationship, you usually try to limit your interactions with the other person to just sex, depending on what you two agree on at the beginning. You’re also free to date and sleep with other people — just make sure everyone practices safe sex and is honest about what they truly want and need.

The 2 Best Dating Sites for NSA Relationships

BeNaughty and Zoosk are our top 2 choices if you’re looking for an NSA relationship in the online dating scene. Here’s a little bit more about each:

1. BeNaughty

The most popular hookup site on the web, BeNaughty puts it all out there so people can be open about their desires without feeling ashamed. BeNaughty also has a free account that lets you create a profile and search through millions of singles ASAP.

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Relationships: Hookups, Chats

Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more

Our Experts Say: “BeNaughty is a premier hookup app where you can feel comfortable expressing your desires. Plus, it's free to join, browse, and flirt...” Full Review »

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BeNaughty’s Like Gallery is the best place to start if you want to build mutual matches and spark a fast connection. Women can chat for free on BeNaughty, and photos are not required upon signup, so users can choose what level of commitment (or non-commitment) they’d like when online dating.

2. Zoosk

Zoosk is another good dating site if you want something casual. It’s modern and has more than 35 million members, most of them being millennials. You can also try Zoosk for free to see if it meets your needs.

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Our Experts Say: “Zoosk is integrated with social media sites, like Facebook and Google+, so it's very popular with singles on the go...” Full Review »

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Zoosk is a global dating site and app with all the tricks and gadgets to get you in a flirtatious conversation. Since its launch in 2007, Zoosk has facilitated countless casual chats and relationships.

What Is the NSA Dating Experience Like & Is It Right For Me?

The NSA dating experience is a lot like being single . There are no feelings involved in an ideal NSA arrangement, and an NSA partner probably won’t be involved in your day-to-day life the way a romantic partner would be. NSA is a purely sexual situation. It’s casual by definition.

The specific terms of a given NSA agreement can vary from one person to another. “Friends with benefits” is a popular style, but not the only one. Some people have a go-to person they call or text whenever they want to get laid (aka booty call). Other people hang out with their sex buddy socially, but things never get very romantic or lead to a serious relationship.

Whether NSA dating is the right choice for you depends on what you’re looking for. Casual sex agreements can be a lot of fun if you’re not looking for someone to settle down with or have a more committed relationship with. But if you want more than just sex, an NSA arrangement might not be as satisfying after the initial excitement wears off.

Is Being in an Open Relationship the Same as NSA Dating?

An open relationship and NSA fun are two different things. In an open relationship, you have at least one core romantic partnership that you are committed to. In an NSA situation, the idea is to not have a formal relationship of any kind, hence “no strings.” 

It’s possible for a person who is in an open relationship to look for NSA dating as a way to have fun while their partner or partners are also dating other people. It can be an outlet for getting extra sexual satisfaction without the emotional involvement. However, not all people who are seeking NSA sex are in an open relationship (or any kind of relationship), and not all people who are in an open relationship want NSA sex.

Does NSA Also Mean Something Different in the United States?

Yes, like many abbreviations, NSA can mean a lot of different things depending on the person using it. In the U.S., one possibility is the National Security Agency, which shortens its name to NSA. 

The National Security Agency is part of the Department of Defense and handles cybersecurity and foreign intelligence information for the U.S. government. Like most security agencies, it has had its fair share of scandals and criticisms.

The good news is that while it’s a fairly common abbreviation, it’s also pretty easy to know when a person is referring to No Strings Attached relationships versus the governmental agency. It’s generally fairly difficult to get the two mixed up, unlike some other shortened references and acronyms. 

What Does NSA Mean in Terms of Sugar Relationships?

Sugar relationships can be a tricky situation because both sides of the relationship are there for business right off of the bat. Because the relationships between sugar babies and the sugar daddy or daddies tend to be intimate, it’s important to make sure that the terms and conditions are clear from the beginning.

In a sugar dating context, NSA typically means that neither of the people in the relationship is looking for a commitment.

Photo of sugar dating
A sugar daddy or sugar momma may prefer NSA dating to keep things simple.

A sugar daddy who wants an NSA sugar relationship wants to provide straightforward gifts or other benefits in exchange for dates, with little contact other than arrangements for the next meeting. The same is true in reverse for a sugar baby interested in an NSA situation: their dates and sexual encounters are casual in nature, and no exclusivity is involved.

An NSA sugar relationship also typically means there’s no set timing or schedule for dates. For busy entrepreneurs or other wealthy benefactors, this can be very convenient: they can fit in their dates when they have time, with the understanding that their sugar baby may or may not be available, but will make for excellent company when they’re in town.

Are There Any Other Dating Terms or Acronyms Singles Should Know About?

Oh, yes. There is a lot of lingo around dating, and it can be embarrassing not to know what a slang term refers to. You might see FWB on a Tinder profile, meaning “friends with benefits,” or see someone suggest that they’re interested in getting things done IRL (in real life, or in-person) quickly. A person who says they’re DTF means they’re down to…have sex.

If the romantic connection wanes, you might get accused of ghosting, caspering, or pocketing your prospective partner. 

NSA Means You’re Free to Do Whatever You Like

Fortunately, resources like UrbanDictionary and NetLingo keep track of the changing internet slang so you don’t have to. If you run into an acronym or abbreviation that you don’t know, a quick search can tell you what it means, and you can use context to figure the rest out. The internet makes it easy to keep from getting embarrassed, as long as you take a moment to search before you jump in with a reply.

Knowing common online dating phrases is helpful in getting what you want faster, whether it’s an NSA relationship or something more serious. And there are some awesome dating sites out there, like BeNaughty, that make it easy for singles to play the field — no strings attached. Good luck!

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