bisexual

adjective

bi·sex·u·al | \ (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl

, -shəl \

Definition of bisexual

1a 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

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

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 Monkeypox continues to disproportionately infect gay and bisexual men, and many LGBTQ activists have called for more to be done — including greater access to vaccines, which are in high demand but short supply. — Grace Tooheystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 As monkeypox cases spread across California, the virus is inflicting an uneven toll on gay and bisexual men, according to new state data. — Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Aug. 2022 In an interview with Healthline, Dr. Michelle Forcier a clinician with FOLX Health explains that misinformation on how the virus is spread is harmful towards gay and bisexual men. — Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 30 July 2022 Federal officials have identified about 3,500 cases, overwhelmingly among gay and bisexual men, and have warned that the virus is likely to spread to broader populations. — Dan Diamond And Tony Romm, Anchorage Daily News, 27 July 2022 Most of those individuals were gay and bisexual men. — Brenda Goodman, CNN, 27 July 2022 Still, the vaccines have been in short supply as gay and bisexual men clamor for shots. — Jon Kamp, WSJ, 26 July 2022 To the degree there is data, the majority of cases have been among gay or bisexual men who report having had multiple partners. — Wired, 26 July 2022 Condom use among gay and bisexual men has steadily declined since HIV became a treatable infection in 1996. — Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 22 July 2022 See More

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.

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Dictionary Entries Near bisexual

bisexed

bisexual

Bisharin

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Last Updated

6 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Bisexual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual. Accessed 11 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for bisexual

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