sex positivity

American

[seks poz-i-tiv-i-tee] / ˈsɛks ˌpɒz ɪˈtɪv ɪ ti /

noun

a philosophy that is accepting of traditional and nontraditional sexual activity, avoids repression and shame, and advocates all consensual exploration of human sexuality.

Other Word Forms

sex-positive

adjective

Etymology

Origin of sex positivity

First recorded in 1985–90

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.

See Examples For:

sex positivity

Esther Van der Valk, part of prominent Dutch feminist group Dolle Mina, says it's also about sex positivity and reducing body shaming.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Historian Leslie Tuttle has described a “pronatalism” dominating political and cultural ideology in early modern France, which brought with it a powerful emphasis on marriage, the family, and sex positivity.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025

Yet Nelson bounds across knotty subjects like #MeToo, sex positivity, addiction, queer theory, anxiety and carceral feminism without tiring of the painstaking work of untangling controversies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023