heterosexuality

American  

[het-er-uh-sek-shoo-al-i-tee, -seks-yoo-] / ˌhɛt ər əˌsɛk ʃuˈæl ɪ ti, -ˌsɛks yu- /

noun

1. sexual desire or behavior directed toward people of the other binary gender.

2. the state of being sexually attracted only to the other binary gender.

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heterosexuality British  

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˌsɛksjʊˈælɪtɪ /

noun

1. sexual attraction to or sexual relations with a person or persons of the opposite sex Compare homosexuality

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heterosexuality Cultural  

1. Sexual attraction between a male and a female. (Compare bisexuality and homosexuality.)

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Etymology

Origin of heterosexuality

First recorded in 1895–1900; hetero- + sexuality

Example Sentences

Taylor acknowledges that heteropessimism, a term used by Asa Seresin in a 2019 piece in The New Inquiry, isn’t the same as actually denying or refusing to engage with heterosexuality.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

Febos works to dismantle heteronormative stereotypes about love and sex in this book, quoting writer Sara Ahmed: “When you leave heterosexuality, you still live in a heterosexual world.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025

“Being LGBTQ, having those labels, does not remove your stupidity, just like heterosexuality does not remove your stupidity,” she told Vanity Fair.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025

In that movement, some Korean women are declaring they will "boycott" what they see as the four pillars of heterosexuality: dating, marriage, sex and childbirth.

From Salon • Nov. 13, 2024

Be this as it may, homosexuality takes place under a different set of biological and social expectations than do heterosexuality and other forms of sexuality.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai