Unwanted sexual or romantic attention from someone whom you do not know or someone you didn't expect to advance in such nature. I will say too that it depends on the attractiveness of the person too. Some things that are deemed as sexual harassment do not come out as such because the person receiving this harassment is attracted to the person and will allow more than someone who they're not attracted to.

For instance, take person A and person B in an elevator (I know, stereotypical). The person A walks into the elevator and they have somewhat of an attraction to each other and person A compliments person B and says they look nice in their outfit because it brings their eyes out. Person B feels good, says thank you, and that's the end of the story.

The second example: let's say person A and person B dislike each other or one likes the other. Person A sees person B get in the elevator and says, "Hi person B, you look nice today." Person A thinks that person B meant more than what they meant to say and makes a complaint to whoever deals with complaints.

There is where the trickiness comes in. I'm not saying this is 100% of the time, but this happens a lot.

Back when businesses and governmental agencies were developing harrassment policies, I was the boss in a small office in which I had three female employees. One of them would be insulted if I said "That 's a pretty blouse." One would say, "Thank you." The other might say, "Want to see what's under it?" I found it difficult to write a policy that was applicable to all three. In another setting, a few years earlier, I had two female employees (on separate occasions) make sexual overtures to me. I have been accused of 'being too friendly' when I touched a woman at the waist when trying to pass behind her in a narrow passageway, and was also accused by two women of sexual harrassment when I had never, ever said or done ANYTHING that could have been interpreted that way to either of them, they liked their jobs but were just trying to get me fired in hopes my assistant would get promoted to the job. It's a jungle out there. But... i like the definitiion of persistent and unwelcome as a qualifier.

Unwanted , and/or uninvited sexual attention. Which can be in several forms : written (email, text also), spoken, or actual physical contact.

It can occur anywhere, to anyone, and unless mutually desired, is inappropriate at the least, and criminal at the most.

I worked with a woman who always said "If it's sexual, it's not harassment". Full disclosure, she was the office flirt.

Joking aside, many responses here use the word "persistent." That's key I think... there's been too many situations in which the offender was innocent of any sexual advances. Case in point: I personally know of a case where a man complimented a woman on her blouse, so she sued him. Truth.

Persistent unwanted sexually motivated attention.

Alright! Any look, jester, innuendo, saying, hands touching, rubbing, conversation, picture, response, slip of the tongue... anything to cause a person to feel uncomfortable. It don't even have to be sexual. Bottom line is. Leave people alone so they can do their work.
With that said. Ive had to be very careful as an instructor and a co worker. I try to keep it all business regardless how beautiful or how great the person smells. Im grateful that im out of the spot light now. Its just me and my wife and thats how i like it.

When you make any type of unwanted sexual advance on another person.

This includes lewd remarks, suggestive behavior, etc.