heterosexuality

American  

[het-er-uh-sek-shoo-al-i-tee, -seks-yoo-] / ˌhɛt ər əˌsɛk ʃuˈæl ɪ ti, -ˌsɛks yu- /

noun

1. sexual desire or behavior directed toward people of the other binary gender.

2. the state of being sexually attracted only to the other binary gender.

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heterosexuality British  

/ ˌhɛtərəʊˌsɛksjʊˈælɪtɪ /

noun

1. sexual attraction to or sexual relations with a person or persons of the opposite sex Compare homosexuality

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heterosexuality Cultural  

1. Sexual attraction between a male and a female. (Compare bisexuality and homosexuality.)

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Etymology

Origin of heterosexuality

First recorded in 1895–1900; hetero- + sexuality

Example Sentences

He likes what he likes, and if you think his taste is weird, he finds conventional heterosexuality to be even weirder.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2024

In the three decades since Martin's study, Almeling said, scholars and advocates have increasingly challenged the presumption of heterosexuality and the categorization of bodies as either male or female.

From Science Daily • Oct. 1, 2023

“I love those two soulful women so much, but I felt the heterosexuality in those lyrics,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2022

And I think even my heterosexuality might be that way, and there's really no way to know.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2022

Be this as it may, homosexuality takes place under a different set of biological and social expectations than do heterosexuality and other forms of sexuality.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai