heteronormative

adjective

het·​ero·​nor·​ma·​tive ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈnȯr-mə-tiv 

: of, relating to, or based on the attitude that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality

heteronormativity

ˌhe-tə-rō-ˌnȯr-mə-ˈti-və-tē 

noun

Examples of heteronormative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even though the tides are slowly turning, many video games have formulaic plots that reinforce old-school gender and heteronormative roles, often featuring a hero saving a damsel in distress from a menacing villain. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2026

Hossain and her collaborators have conjured an internalized hellscape marked by sensual photography, gnarly cyst makeup, and suffocating matrimonial rituals involving turmeric and milk — all redolent with upper-class heteronormative rot. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

According to the heteronormative version of bluegill courtship, mating season begins when males start building nests—basically, bowl-like depressions in the lake bed. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Because the world assumes that all people are heteronormative and cisgenger, kids can often be on the back foot when talking about their relationships and identity. — Taylor Grothe, Parents, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

hetero- + normative

Note: The word was popularized, if not introduced, by the American critic and scholar Michael Warner (born 1958) in "Introduction: Fear of a Queer Planet," Social Text, no. 29 (1991), pp. 3-15.

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heteronormative

• formative
• normative
• informative
• performative
• uninformative