heterosexual

adjective het·ero·sex·u·al \ ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl , -ˈsek-shəl \

Definition of heterosexual

1 a :of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward the opposite sex

b :of, relating to, or involving sexual intercourse between individuals of opposite sex

2 :of or relating to different sexes

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heterosexuality

play \ˌhe-tə-rō-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē\ noun

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heterosexually

play \ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wə-lē, -ˈsek-shə-lē\ adverb

See heterosexual defined for English-language learners

See heterosexual defined for kids

Recent Examples of heterosexual from the Web

Taking on the role of a sometimes-awkward anthropologist examining young-person behavior, Grigoriadis set out to learn what, exactly, is going on with heterosexual hookups on campus.

— ann friedman, The Cut, "The Sexual-Assault Generation Gap," 25 Aug. 2017
Schmitz, a heterosexual, shot Amedure, who was gay, three days after Amedure revealed his crush.

— USA TODAY, "Man convicted in killing after talk show on same-sex crushes to be freed," 18 Aug. 2017
Schmitz, a heterosexual, shot Amedure, who was gay, three days after Amedure revealed his crush.

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "Man convicted in killing after 'Jenny Jones' taping to be freed," 17 Aug. 2017
Of course, this was a study with only ten cases, and examined only heterosexual couples.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Apparently Long-Time Lovers Share Microbe Colonies, Aww?," 3 Aug. 2017
Devoney Looser unfurls the history of performers and writers who’ve been subverting the novelist’s reputation as the go-to author for heterosexual love since the Victorian era.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic's Week in Culture," 21 July 2017
A huge question that sixties feminism failed to answer had to do with sex: Could a healthy heterosexual libido be reconciled with good movement politics?

— kim france, Daily Intelligencer, "Feminism Rocks," 30 June 2017
The bill, which is widely expected to pass, would give homosexual couples in Germany the same rights as heterosexual couples.

— judith vonberg, CNN, "German lawmakers to vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage," 30 June 2017
This logic applies to heterosexual couples too, by the way.

— gigi engle, Teen Vogue, "6 Things You Shouldn't Assume About Queer Sex," 28 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of heterosexual

International Scientific Vocabulary

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1892

See Words from the same year

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

heterosexual

noun

Definition of heterosexual

:a heterosexual person

Recent Examples of heterosexual from the Web

But the state has seen an uptick in gonorrhea cases among heterosexuals under 25, especially women.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "Gonorrhea epidemic hits Oregon," 13 July 2017
The legislation also discriminates against gay men by setting the age of consent for them at 16 years old, compared with 14 years old for heterosexuals, the group said.

— susannah cullinane and andreas preuss, CNN, "Germany to quash convictions for homosexuality, pay compensation," 24 June 2017
It was based on a submerged reality, which was that many gay men and especially lesbians had always been in committed relationships — and that that experience was a vital bridge with heterosexuals, who usually comprised the rest of our families.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "The Perverse Presidency of Donald Trump," 23 June 2017
Heterosexual privilege: Refers to the societal advantages that heterosexuals get which LGBTQ people don't.

— alia e. dastagir, USA TODAY, "LGBTQ definitions every good ally should know," 15 June 2017
All his donors were white and had to be married heterosexuals, among other criteria, and the bank would only supply sperm to women who were the same.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The “Nobel Prize Sperm Bank” Was Racist. It Also Helped Change the Fertility Industry," 9 June 2017