homosexuality
noun
ho·mo·sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌhō-mə-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē 
1
now sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below
: sexual or romantic attraction to others of one's same sex : the quality or state of being gay
2
now sometimes offensive; see usage paragraph below
: sexual activity with another of the same sex
Usage of Homosexuality
Neutral use of the term homosexuality is still somewhat common, especially in technical and formal contexts. Outside of those contexts, however, the word can be seen as evoking negative stereotypes and outdated clinical understandings of homosexuality as a psychiatric condition.
Examples of homosexuality in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite his contributions to advancing Black people’s freedom, Rustin was pushed to the background by his peers because of his homosexuality.
—
Jason Oliver Evans, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2023
Heche, whose father hid his homosexuality until his death from AIDS in 1983, was drawn to the talk show host's honesty about her sexuality.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2023
One friend put it to him that the French writer André Gide’s memoirs made no secret of his homosexuality.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023
Many people imagine that your parents are like Usher’s parents, who can’t accept his homosexuality and are skeptical of his career ambitions.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2023
There were rumors of gay cliques in the church, and widespread homosexuality in seminaries, all of which Benedict abhorred.
—Jay Parini, CNN, 31 Dec. 2022
Most Indonesians held fairly relaxed views about homosexuality, which was never officially banned.
—Sui-Lee Wee, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Dec. 2022
Peters was a trailblazer in his frank and intimate depictions of homosexuality, spirituality and mental illness in the 1950s.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 18 Nov. 2022
The image purports to ban drinking, homosexuality, immodesty, profanity, loud music and dating.
—Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2022
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.
Jason Oliver Evans, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2023
Heche, whose father hid his homosexuality until his death from AIDS in 1983, was drawn to the talk show host's honesty about her sexuality.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2023
One friend put it to him that the French writer André Gide’s memoirs made no secret of his homosexuality.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023
Many people imagine that your parents are like Usher’s parents, who can’t accept his homosexuality and are skeptical of his career ambitions.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2023
There were rumors of gay cliques in the church, and widespread homosexuality in seminaries, all of which Benedict abhorred.
—Jay Parini, CNN, 31 Dec. 2022
Most Indonesians held fairly relaxed views about homosexuality, which was never officially banned.
—Sui-Lee Wee, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Dec. 2022
Peters was a trailblazer in his frank and intimate depictions of homosexuality, spirituality and mental illness in the 1950s.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 18 Nov. 2022
The image purports to ban drinking, homosexuality, immodesty, profanity, loud music and dating.
—Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Homosexuality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homosexuality. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
homosexuality
noun
ho·mo·sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌhō-mə-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ə-tē
: sexual or romantic attraction to others of one's same sex : the quality or state of being gay
Medical Definition
homosexuality
noun
ho·mo·sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌhō-mə-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē
plural homosexualities
1
: sexual or romantic attraction to others of one's same sex : the quality or state of being gay
2
: sexual activity with another of the same sex
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share