heterosexual

American  

[het-er-uh-sek-shoo-uhl, -seks-yoo-] / ˌhɛt ər əˈsɛk ʃu əl, -ˈsɛks yu- /

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.

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noun

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

heterosexual British  

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˈsɛksjʊəl /

noun

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

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adjective

1. of or relating to heterosexuality

Etymology

Origin of heterosexual

First recorded in 1890–95; hetero- + sexual

Example Sentences

Slemrod surmised that by 2030, the number of man-first tax returns might be 3 to 4 percentage points lower, or about 85% of heterosexual married couples.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

She was able to examine heterosexual couples working in the same establishment, and where one partner is a manager and the other is not.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

Under current law, different birth and stillbirth registration options exist for same-sex and heterosexual couples who are neither married nor in a civil partnership.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Projections suggest the global surrogacy market will exceed $129 billion by 2034—fueled not only by men but also by heterosexual couples with fertility challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

The women of Raskova’s regiments, with Soviet society reinforcing their heterosexual standards, felt that marriage was acceptable; but affairs were not.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein