heteronormative

American  

[het-er-uh-nawr-muh-tiv] / ˌhɛt ər əˈnɔr mə tɪv /

adjective

1. noting or relating to behavior or attitudes consistent with traditional male or female gender roles and the assumption of heterosexuality as the norm.

   our heteronormative culture.

---

Other Word Forms

• heteronormativity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of heteronormative

First recorded in 1990–95; hetero(sexual) ( def. ) + normative ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heteronormative

Interestingly, the girls that I overhear speaking about romantic relationships, many of them are not in heteronormative relationships.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026

“He’s definitely someone who’s seduced by and yearning for that kind of heteronormative hypermasculinity,” Martin said about their character in a recent interview with Deadline.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2025

It says a lot about the staid state of masculinity that men want the same heteronormative version of handsome that has defined male beauty standards for years.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2024

This man who seems like the ultimate heteronormative prize.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024

But why is the platform's large Gen Z audience, known for going against heteronormative standards, celebrating a number of gender-based online trends?

From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2023