sexual orientation

American  

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

noun

sexual orientations plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sexual orientations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sexual orientation

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sexual orientation

Clayton County, a 2020 Supreme Court decision that established workplace discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Protected characteristics include age, disability, race, pregnancy, sex and sexual orientation.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

They didn’t track representation based on gender, sexual orientation or Asian origin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 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

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