sexual orientation

American  

[sek-shoo-uhl awr-ee-uhn-tey-shuhn, ‐en‐] / ˈsɛk ʃu əl ˌɔr i ənˈteɪ ʃən, ‐ɛn‐ /

noun

1. one's inherent attraction to a sexual partner of a certain gender, or the absence of gender preference in a sexual relationship; one’s identity as asexual, bisexual, heterosexual, gay, pansexual, etc.

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sexual orientation Cultural  

1. Preference for sexual activity with people of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both. (See bisexuality, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.)

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Etymology

Origin of sexual orientation

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

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

In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity are included in the protections against sex-based discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Existing protected groups are race, sexual orientation, religion and disability.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

Avoiding war was a good policy in an age when many monarchs, including Charles I, would risk their positions through expensive adventures; in any case it has little to do with sexual orientation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

No matter what race we are, what ethnic background, sexual orientation, or what views we may have, we are all human.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers