sexual orientation

American  

[sek-shoo-uhl awr-ee-uhn-tay-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

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Etymology

Origin of sexual orientation

First recorded in 1990–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sexual orientation

The data also suggests recorded hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity are unchanged or falling.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Instead of suffering through that, I watched people of every imaginable race, creed, sexual orientation and color enjoying life.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

He wrote the court’s four major rulings rejecting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Clayton County, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026

None of that had changed, or could be changed by anything as inconsequential as her gender, or skin color, or sexual orientation.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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