heterosexual

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

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

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

At the same time, the younger generation is becoming more likely to identify as something other than heterosexual, the study finds.

— josh magness, miamiherald, "Fewer teens do drugs or have sex — but more come out as LGBTQ, study says," 20 June 2018
For example, 46% of bisexual women have been raped, compared to 17% of heterosexual women and 13% of lesbians, according the CDC.

— alia e. dastagir, USA TODAY, "Gay survivors helped launch Me Too, but rates of LGBT abuse largely overlooked," 13 June 2018
That steadfast independence is woefully rare in depictions of female characters in pop culture—especially heterosexual women whose entire character arcs are written around the men whose lives apparently give theirs meaning.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Long Live Samantha Jones," 6 June 2018
Therefore, fans now include anyone from heterosexual women to men and their families.

— rebecca schiller, Billboard, "'Drag Race' Queens Talk Drag's Future in Pop Culture, Importance of Supporting Local Talent: Watch," 6 June 2018
The report said that young heterosexual people aged 15-24 along with black ethnic minorities and LGBT men remain most at risk of STIs.

— jessie yeung, CNN, "Syphilis cases hit highest level in almost 70 years in England," 6 June 2018
Lesbians are more likely to orgasm than heterosexual women.

— laurie mintz, Philly.com, "The orgasm gap explained: Why she's just not as into it," 18 May 2018
Like it or not, that’s the typical setup in a heterosexual household.

— valentina zarya, Fortune, "Meghan Markle, Women.NYC, Pennsylvania Primaries: Broadsheet May 17," 17 May 2018
Like reading between the lines of the Bible, the message from the top is that anyone who is not heterosexual is an anomaly to be ostracized and pushed aside.

— dahleen glanton, chicagotribune.com, "Intolerance toward gays has softened, but it persists," 14 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Psychology Terms

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

heterosexual

noun

: a heterosexual person

Recent Examples of heterosexual from the Web

Yet other configurations are certainly possible, given that heterosexuals aren’t the only ones doing the seducing, as well as the heightened gatekeeping demanded of us all these days.

— laura kipnis, The Cut, "Should There Be a Future for Seduction?," 10 June 2018
Research suggests that some people in the LGBT community are more likely to have certain chronic conditions and face higher prevalence and earlier onset of disabilities compared to heterosexuals, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

— guy boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Froedtert Health and Medical College of Wisconsin to open clinic that focuses on LGBTQ community," 8 June 2018
National lawmakers are negotiating a revision of the criminal code, including provisions pushed by Islamic parties that would imprison gay people or unmarried cohabiting heterosexuals.

— anita rachman, WSJ, "Indonesia’s Islamic Floggings Will Move Indoors Where Kids Can’t See," 12 Apr. 2018
Now the 27-year-old delegate argued against him, never mentioning his name, urging a ban on the practice of trying to convert young gay, lesbian or transgender people into heterosexuals.

— erin cox, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland delegate says her parents, including a state senator, pushed her to use conversion therapy," 5 Apr. 2018
He has been counted as among the first to demonstrate the AIDS virus could spread among heterosexuals, and argued early in the epidemic that AIDS wasn't a threat only to gay men and injection drug users.

— mike stobbe, chicagotribune.com, "Leading AIDS researcher selected as new CDC director," 22 Mar. 2018
In this framework, there is one original sinner: white male heterosexuals — either alive or haunting us from the grave in the form of the Dead White Men studied in old Western Civilization courses.

— joshua mitchell, National Review, "The Identity-Politics Death Grip," 26 Oct. 2017
For heterosexuals, however, the outcome of the second and third hypotheses would be the same.

— The Economist, "Best matesWhat eyes and odours reveal about sexual attraction," 12 Oct. 2017
In 1993, when New York City began a domestic partnership registry to extend housing, health insurance and other benefits to gays, lesbians and unmarried heterosexuals, Ms. Windsor and Dr. Spyer were among the first to sign up.

— robert d. mcfadden, New York Times, "Edith Windsor, Whose Same-Sex Marriage Fight Led to Landmark Ruling, Dies at 88," 12 Sep. 2017