heterosexual

1 of 2

adjective

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

-ˈsek-shəl

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to or between people of the opposite sex

heterosexual men/women

a heterosexual couple

: of, relating to, or involving sexual activity between individuals of the opposite sex

: of or relating to different sexes

heterosexuality

ˌhe-tə-rō-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē

noun

heterosexually

ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wə-lē

-ˈsek-shə-lē

adverb

heterosexual

2 of 2

noun

plural heterosexuals

: a person who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex : a heterosexual person

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Another parent, Jess Coulter, claimed that there was bias against homosexual representation since there has not been much anger leveled at heterosexual relationship content in books. —

Joshua Q. Nelson, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2023 It’s evolved to be more racially, socially and culturally diverse and to expand its purview beyond heterosexual relationships. —

Megan Ditrolio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023 This is not an issue for heterosexual, cisgender couples. —

Jennifer Brookland, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2023 And these testing requirements also apply to women who are not in a heterosexual relationship or people with uteruses who do not identify as women. —

Deanna Pai, Allure, 3 Feb. 2023 For example, a heterosexual, cisgender woman could be an ally for an LGBTQ colleague. —

Andriana Eliadis, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022 This is also true of bonobos who indulge in homosexual and heterosexual encounters for pleasure, to maintain pair bonds or to resolve aggressive encounters. —

Louise Gentle, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2023 The lack of diversity in the romance genre is obvious in the cover art itself, which largely features white and heterosexual couples. —

Hazlitt, 8 Feb. 2023 More than 93% identified as straight or heterosexual, 1.12% as gay and 0.81% as lesbian. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2023

Noun

One simply cannot applaud cis white heterosexual males enough for doing the bare minimum required of a human being. —

Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2022 Remember: Any human who didn’t fit the cultural norm (heterosexual) has spent their lives either in a form of hiding or living out loud while often endangering their emotional, physical and economic safety. —

Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 Shifting our wider definition of family is not just about including those who are childfree or prospective parents who sit outside of the heterosexual, cis norm. —

Sadhbh O'sullivan, refinery29.com, 13 Feb. 2022 Adding to the sense of unreality is the utter lack, in a book teeming with brothels and game parlors, of any courtesans catering to (or anyone having) preferences other than the heterosexual. —

Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2021 Wilde wrote as a voice from Fullerton’s London years, and Fullerton in Paris had left all that behind to become an enthusiastic heterosexual. —

Colm Tóibín, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020 Wilde wrote as a voice from Fullerton’s London years, and Fullerton in Paris had left all that behind to become an enthusiastic heterosexual. —

Colm Tóibín, The New York Review of Books, 20 Aug. 2020 Also, there is not a single minute of film in which Evan Hansen comes across as heterosexual, which is a problem when the main driver of the plot is Evan’s unrequited love for a girl. —

Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heterosexual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.