bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
-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
bisexually 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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The app, with a user base of mostly gay and bisexual men, is testing an AI chatbot that will screen prospects to recommend dating partners, set up dates and keep a track of your conversations, the Wall Street Journal reported. Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 Between 2018 and 2022, estimated HIV infections among gay and bisexual men fell 16% for Black Americans and 20% for white Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2024 Globally, gay and bisexual men made up the vast majority of cases in that outbreak. Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 Approximately 7 in 10 new HIV cases are in gay and bisexual men, with Black people and Latinos in this group acquiring the virus at much higher rates than their white counterparts. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bisexual 

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of bisexual was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near bisexual

Cite this Entry

“Bisexual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bisexual

adjective
bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
-ˈsek-shəl
1
: possessing characters of or having sexual desire for both sexes
2
: of, relating to, or involving two sexes
bisexual noun

Medical Definition

bisexual

1 of 2 adjective
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 noun
plural bisexualities

bisexual

2 of 2 noun
: a bisexual individual

More from Merriam-Webster on bisexual

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