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
Momentum 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

called also reparative therapy

Examples of conversion therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Alito also went on to cast doubt on the reliability of medical experts, who overwhelmingly report that conversion therapy carries lasting harm and trauma. Samantha Riedel, Them., 8 Oct. 2025 Advertisement The arguments against conversion therapy aren’t about attacking religion or silencing free speech. Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, Time, 8 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … STRUCK DOWN – Supreme Court skeptical of 'conversion therapy' law banning treatment for LGBTQ+ youth. FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025 The point of contention with the law stems from whether the conversion therapy ban amounts to viewpoint discrimination, something Severino believes the Colorado law unconstitutionally does. Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conversion therapy

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conversion therapy was in 1973

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Cite this Entry

“Conversion therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversion%20therapy. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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