bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl 

-shəl

1

a

see usage paragraph below : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's same sex and of the opposite sex

also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities

b

biology : possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic

Usually, the sexes are separate but some plants bear bisexual flowers at different times of the year and these may suddenly become exclusively female.

—Stephen K-M. Tim

2

: of, relating to, involving, or characteristic of both sexes

A number of insects combine the advantages of parthenogenesis with those of bisexual reproduction using an alternation of generations.

—R. F. Chapman

The Bionic Woman of the television serial of the seventies … has the bisexual name of Jamie Summers.

—Marina Warner

bisexual noun

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

noun

bisexually

(ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wə-lē 

-sh(ə-)lē

adverb

Usage of Bisexual

While educational and advocacy groups tend to define bisexual broadly as applying to sexual or romantic attraction to members of one's own gender identity as well as to members of other gender identities, the older, narrower application describing attraction to male and female people persists among English speakers, aided, no doubt, by the word's morphology: the prefix bi- means "two." Note that while the broader meaning of bisexual can be understood as occupying the same semantic territory as pansexual, there are people who identify as one but not the other, as well as people who identify as both.

Examples of bisexual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cicogna, who was openly bisexual, was in a relationship with Bolkan for about 20 years during the 70s and 80s. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 6 Nov. 2023

Sophie identifies as bisexual but has yet to come out. —Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023

One delegate told a story of a woman who died by suicide after failing to obtain church absolution for being bisexual. —Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2023

In a 2018 cover story for Net-a-Porter, the actress came out as bisexual and spoke about having a supportive household. —Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 14 Oct. 2023

The guideline is specific to the group that has been most studied — gay and bisexual men and transgender women who had a STD in the previous 12 months and were at high risk to get infected again. —Mike Stobbe, Fortune Well, 2 Oct. 2023

Zuniga, who is bisexual, has been with her partner for about four years. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023

Go out and celebrate: Bisexual Awareness Week may be over, but that doesn’t mean the bisexual celebration should end. —Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023

In the novel that spans Elizabethan to late-1920s England, the titular hero — inspired by Woolf’s longtime muse, Vita Sackville-West, a successful writer and noted bisexual — makes love and art across Europe, first as a male and then as a female who comes to embrace gender-nonconformity. —Elaina Patton, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl 

-ˈsek-shəl

1

: possessing characters of or having sexual desire for both sexes

2

: of, relating to, or involving two sexes

bisexual noun

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

bisexual

1 of 2 adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl, -ˈsek-shəl 

1

a

: possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic

b

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to individuals of one's same sex and of the opposite sex

also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities

2

: of, relating to, or involving two sexes

bisexual reproduction

bisexuality

ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē 

noun

plural bisexualities

bisexually

(ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wə-lē, -(ə-)lē 

adverb

bisexual

2 of 2 noun

: a bisexual individual