bisexual

adjective

bi·sex·u·al | \ (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl

, -shəl \

Definition of bisexual

1a : 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

Other Words from bisexual Usage of Bisexual More Example Sentences Learn More About bisexual

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from bisexual

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 During Pride Month last June, Hemmings wished Deaton, who is bisexual, and his fans a Happy Pride on his Instagram Story. — Heran Mamo, Billboard, 9 June 2021 Gay and bisexual men are most affected by HIV, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. — Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 19 May 2021 Midnight Caller earned the ire of activists in San Francisco who opposed its depiction of a bisexual man who was, in the episode’s parlance, going around knowingly infecting people with the virus. — Manuel Betancourt, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2021 But Jenness and his fellow researchers predicted that the Atlanta area alone will see about 900 more HIV cases than normal over the next five years among gay and bisexual men. — Mike Stobbe, Star Tribune, 4 June 2021 Rosaline is bisexual, and the novel grapples with that identity, particularly in the assumptions others make about her. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 June 2021 People who are bisexual often say they are attracted to genders like their own, as well as genders different than their own. — Colleen Murphy, Health.com, 27 May 2021 In a 2017 tweet, Thompson claimed that Valkyrie was bisexual. — Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2021 Historically, the music industry has been inhospitable to openly gay, lesbian and bisexual artists. — Neil Shah, WSJ, 28 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bisexual.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About bisexual

Dictionary Entries Near bisexual

Statistics for bisexual

Last Updated

19 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Bisexual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual. Accessed 23 Jun. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for bisexual

bisexual

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of bisexual

: sexually attracted to both men and women

: having both male and female sex parts

: relating to or involving two sexes

See the full definition for bisexual in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bisexual

adjective

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

Medical Definition of bisexual

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from bisexual

bisexuality \ ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē

\ noun, plural bisexualities

bisexually \ (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wə-lē, -(ə-)lē

\ adverb

bisexual

noun

Medical Definition of bisexual (Entry 2 of 2)

: a bisexual individual