sexuality
noun
sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē 
1
: the quality or state of being sexual: such as
a
: sexual reproduction (see reproduction sense 1)
b
: sexual activity
c
: expression of sexual receptivity or interest
High school can be confusing, and grappling with one's burgeoning sexuality, even more so.—
Eliza Berman
Eliza Berman2
: a person's sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, straight, gay, pansexual, etc. : sexual orientation
… the TV star told fans that she was "interested in both men and women" after a fan questioned her sexuality.—Courtney Ciandella
Courtney CiandellaExamples of sexuality in a Sentence
She is comfortable with her sexuality.
a study of male sexuality
Recent Examples on the Web
Fashion intersects with politics, economics, globalization, sexuality, gender, identity, and nearly every other dimension of human life.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
While the show does not set out to answer that question, Miller said that dandyism by definition is an act of a refusal and noted that dandies can push boundaries of gender, class, sexuality, race, and Blackness.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
Other provisions of the letter included that Harvard ban all DEI policies, or at least those that consider gender, race, ability, age, socioeconomic status, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, or nationality.
—Charlotte Y. Levy, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025
Elizabeth Gregory, director of women’s gender and sexuality studies at the University of Houston, interviewed more than 100 women about their choice to delay having kids for a book on later motherhood.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sexuality
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Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
While the show does not set out to answer that question, Miller said that dandyism by definition is an act of a refusal and noted that dandies can push boundaries of gender, class, sexuality, race, and Blackness.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
Other provisions of the letter included that Harvard ban all DEI policies, or at least those that consider gender, race, ability, age, socioeconomic status, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, or nationality.
—Charlotte Y. Levy, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025
Elizabeth Gregory, director of women’s gender and sexuality studies at the University of Houston, interviewed more than 100 women about their choice to delay having kids for a book on later motherhood.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sexuality
Cite this Entry
“Sexuality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sexuality. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sexuality
noun
sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē
: the quality or state of being sexual
Medical Definition
sexuality
noun
sex·u·al·i·ty
ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē
plural sexualities
1
: the quality or state of being sexual:
a
biology
: the condition of having sex (see sex entry 1 sense 1a)
b
: sexual activity
c
: expression of sexual receptivity or interest
2
: a person's sexual identity or self-identification as bisexual, heterosexual, gay, etc. : sexual orientation
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