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heterosexual

[het-er-uh-sek-shoo-uhl, -seks-yoo-]

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or exhibiting heterosexuality, sexual desire or behavior directed toward people of the other binary gender.

  2. Biology.,  of or relating to different sexes.

    heterosexual fraternal twins.



noun

  1. a person who is sexually or romantically attracted primarily to people of the other binary gender.

heterosexual

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˈsɛksjʊəl /

noun

  1. a person who is sexually attracted to the opposite sex

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to heterosexuality

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of heterosexual1

First recorded in 1890–95; hetero- + sexual
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Within that material was this maternal guilt and this discrepancy in domestic labor tasks in heterosexual couples that, to me, is just this huge issue,” she says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Insurance companies are more likely to deny them coverage or to demand that they prove their infertility struggles than cisgender, heterosexual couples.

Read more on Salon

What remains is a flattened, inaccurate history that centers white heterosexual Christian men as the architects of American greatness, relegating others to mere bystanders or occupying passive, supporting roles.

Read more on Salon

The legal change, which passed in a knife-edge vote in parliament, also restricts adoption to married heterosexual couples and prohibits surrogate pregnancies.

Read more on BBC

The significance is not lost on Nuñez, who happens to be a married heterosexual man and father to a teenage daughter.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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heterosexismheterosexuality