bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl 

-shəl

1

a

see usage paragraph below : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's same sex and of the opposite sex

also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities

b

biology : possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic

Usually, the sexes are separate but some plants bear bisexual flowers at different times of the year and these may suddenly become exclusively female.

—Stephen K-M. Tim

2

: of, relating to, involving, or characteristic of both sexes

A number of insects combine the advantages of parthenogenesis with those of bisexual reproduction using an alternation of generations.

—R. F. Chapman

The Bionic Woman of the television serial of the seventies … has the bisexual name of Jamie Summers.

—Marina Warner

bisexual noun

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

noun

bisexually

(ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wə-lē 

-sh(ə-)lē

adverb

Usage of Bisexual

While educational and advocacy groups tend to define bisexual broadly as applying to sexual or romantic attraction to members of one's own gender identity as well as to members of other gender identities, the older, narrower application describing attraction to male and female people persists among English speakers, aided, no doubt, by the word's morphology: the prefix bi- means "two." Note that while the broader meaning of bisexual can be understood as occupying the same semantic territory as pansexual, there are people who identify as one but not the other, as well as people who identify as both.

Examples of bisexual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Along with appearances by Graziadei and Palmer, the 100th episode drew buzz for revealing that Buck, played by Oliver Stark, was bisexual. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024

Lempicka was bisexual, notoriously so, and the musical uses this as the crux of her story, as defined by the two great loves of her life: her boring, bland, and basic AF husband Tadeusz Lempicki (Andrew Samonsky) and the dynamic, intriguing Parisian prostitute Rafaela (Iman). —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024

In February, parliament unanimously passed a bill that will intensify the suppression of LGBTQ rights and punish those promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender identities. —Reuters, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024

With 25 charter members, Heterodoxy included individuals of diverse backgrounds, including lesbian and bisexual women, labor radicals and socialites, and artists and nurses. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024

Following the social network style of apps like Tinder, it now is also marketed toward bisexual and transgender people, though it is still largely associated with gay male relationships. —USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024

According to a report administered by the app last year, 73 percent of bisexual women have been approached by couples looking for a third, despite only half of those women being familiar with the practice. —Jason Parham, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2024

Still, the scholar cautions against labeling James—who fathered seven children with his wife, Anne of Denmark—as gay or bisexual, as these terms only came into use centuries after the king’s lifetime. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

However, gay and bisexual men and certain other groups have a higher risk because the virus started spreading in this community first. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl 

-ˈsek-shəl

1

: possessing characters of or having sexual desire for both sexes

2

: of, relating to, or involving two sexes

bisexual noun

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

bisexual

1 of 2 adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl, -ˈsek-shəl 

1

a

: possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic

b

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to individuals of one's same sex and of the opposite sex

also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities

2

: of, relating to, or involving two sexes

bisexual reproduction

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē 

noun

plural bisexualities

bisexually

(ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wə-lē, -(ə-)lē 

adverb

bisexual

2 of 2 noun

: a bisexual individual