sexual
1 Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or for sex.
Publicly discussing sexual matters was frowned upon in those days.
The store is known for selling sexual aids.
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occurring between or involving the sexes.
In humans, melatonin concentrations are related to sexual maturation, with significant decreases occurring at the onset of puberty.
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having sexual organs or reproducing by processes involving both sexes.
The patterns of genetic variation in sexual species tend to be very different from those in asexual species.
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a combining form extracted from heterosexual and homosexual, used to describe a person's sexual orientation or identity: polysexual.
pansexual;
polysexual.
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a combining form extracted from metrosexual, used to describe a person's lifestyle, appearance, or way of dressing with regard to attracting or choosing a romantic partner: lumbersexual.
vegansexual;
lumbersexual.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by sex or sexuality
-
(of reproduction) characterized by the union of male and female gametes Compare asexual
Other Word Forms
- antisexual adjective
- antisexually adverb
- nonsexual adjective
- nonsexually adverb
- sexually adverb
- unsexual adjective
- unsexually adverb
Etymology
Origin of sexual
First recorded in 1645–55; from Late Latin sexuālis, from sexu(s) sex + -ālis -al 1
Compare meaning
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the same time, Lively has framed the dispute as a test case for California’s relatively new law protecting people who speak publicly about sexual misconduct.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
One day earlier, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users about platform safety and failing to protect children from sexual predators.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Almost 30 states have curbed or outlawed “therapy” that seeks to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity—that is, to make them stop being gay, bisexual, or transgender.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
The inquiry was established in response to recommendations made by Baroness Casey in her national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse published in June 2025.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
From our much more broadminded twenty-first-century North American viewpoint, it’s important to remember that identifying yourself as male or female doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with your sexual orientation.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
