conversion therapy
noun
plural conversion therapies
: the use of any of various methods (such as aversive stimulation or religious counseling) in an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual or to change a person's gender identity to correspond to the sex the person was identified as having at birth
Note: Conversion therapy is generally regarded as having no scientific basis and as being both ineffective and harmful.
Conversion therapy is both pointless and painful. At its best, it can inflict considerable psychological damage on a child without changing their sexual orientation or gender identity whatsoever. At its worst, it can lead to suicide …—
Samantha Allen
Samantha AllenMomentum has been building in legislative sessions this spring for the bans, which prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy for anyone under 18.—Susan Miller
Susan Millercalled also reparative therapy
Examples of conversion therapy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Major medical and mental health organizations have consistently concluded that conversion therapy is ineffective and carries serious risks of harm.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2026
The court expresses its worry that Colorado was barring conversion therapy for effectively political reasons.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026
The bill also creates a pathway for people to sue if they were harmed by conversion therapy as children and a separate measure prevents insurers from covering such a practice.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
According to Colorado, the law banning conversion therapy wasn’t aimed at speech but at conduct, namely the course of treatment licensed by the state and known as therapy.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conversion therapy
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A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2026
The court expresses its worry that Colorado was barring conversion therapy for effectively political reasons.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026
The bill also creates a pathway for people to sue if they were harmed by conversion therapy as children and a separate measure prevents insurers from covering such a practice.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
According to Colorado, the law banning conversion therapy wasn’t aimed at speech but at conduct, namely the course of treatment licensed by the state and known as therapy.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conversion therapy
Cite this Entry
“Conversion therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversion%20therapy. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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