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 use describing attraction to male and female people persists among English speakers, aided, no doubt, by the word's prefix bi-, meaning "two." Note that while the broader meaning of bisexual shares a meaning with 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

Another former worker, who is a biracial, bisexual woman, claimed she was treated poorly, too. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Many commenters highlight fears of infidelity, health risks, and the belief that a bisexual man might eventually prefer men, leading to heartbreak. — Razzan Nakhlawi, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026

This coalition aimed to amend the state constitution to forbid any government entity from adopting or enforcing laws that prohibited discrimination against gay, lesbian or bisexual people. — Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Munden cited a Georgia Department of Public Health study that found nearly 70% of gay and bisexual men surveyed in metro Atlanta reported heavy drinking, while 56% reported nonintravenous drug use within the previous year. — Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for bisexual

• sexual

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