sapiosexual

American  

[sey-pee-oh-sek-shoo-uhl] / ˌseɪ pi oʊˈsɛk ʃu əl /

noun

1. a person who finds intelligence to be a sexually attractive quality in others.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to such a person.

Etymology

Origin of sapiosexual

First recorded in 2000–05; sapi(ent) ( def. ) + -o- ( def. ) + sexual ( def. )

Example Sentences

My labels are demisexual and sapiosexual, or some combination of the two, which makes being attracted to someone when there is no intellectual or emotional spark improbable, if not impossible.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2024

A sapiosexual, for those who didn’t catch the segment, is someone attracted to intellect, which is a bit of a humblebrag.

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2019

Ronson had to walk back his coming out as a sapiosexual, even though anyone watching would have considered it a tepid and slightly baffled coming out, at best.

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2019

People who identify as sapiosexual may also identify as gay, straight, bisexual, asexual or something else.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2017

New terms were also added to reflect the evolving language of identity, including "microaggression," "gender-fluid," "Mx.," and "sapiosexual."

From US News • Dec. 8, 2015