asexual

American  

[ey-sek-shoo-uhl] / eɪˈsɛk ʃu əl /

adjective

1. Zoology, Botany.

   1. having no organs of reproduction.

      In nature, there are numerous examples of asexual plant and animal species.

   2. independent of sexual processes, especially not involving the union of male and female germ cells.

      Asexual reproduction is common among echinoderms such as starfish, basket stars, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers.

2. experiencing little or no sexual attraction to other people.

   a woman who identifies as asexual.

3. not involving sex or sexual feelings; nonsexual: an asexual hug.

   an asexual friendship;

   an asexual hug.

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noun

1. a person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to other people.

asexual British  

/ æ-, eɪˈsɛksjʊəl, ˌæ-, eɪˌsɛksjʊˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having no apparent sex or sex organs

2. (of reproduction) not involving the fusion of male and female gametes, as in vegetative reproduction, fission, or budding

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Usage

What does asexual mean? A person who is asexual experiences no sexual attraction to others. Asexual people still experience romantic attraction and may participate in sexual activity. Asexuality is not the same thing as celibacy or abstinence. It’s not a choice or disorder. It is a sexual orientation that falls on a spectrum, and includes diverse identities, behaviors, and attractions. What are some other words related to asexual?affectional orientationaromanticbisexualdemisexualomnisexualpansexualsexual orientationgray-asexuality

Other Word Forms

• asexuality
  noun
• asexually
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of asexual

First recorded in 1820–30; a- ⁶ + sexual

Example Sentences

It’s apparently an acronym for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, with the + covering anybody who feels left out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Asexual replication in humans is what causes the symptoms of malaria, but to transmit, parasites have to develop and become either a male or female reproductive cell, known as a gametocyte.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

Asexual or “ace” is a sexuality spectrum of people who experience little to no sexual attraction to anyone.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2023

Asexual versions of Toxoplasma are relatively easy to grow in the lab.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 30, 2023

Asexual reproductive cells which arise by budding, instead of separating, become cell branches or branched cell threads.

From A Mechanico-Physiological Theory of Organic Evolution by Nägeli, Carl Von