sexual
adjective
of, relating to, or for sex.
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sexual
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-sexual
-sexuala combining form extracted from heterosexual and homosexual, used to describe a person's sexual orientation or identity: polysexual.
sexual
1 American
[sek-shoo-uhl, seks-yoo-]
/ ˈsɛk ʃu əl, ˈsɛks ju- /
adjective
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of, relating to, or for sex.
Publicly discussing sexual matters was frowned upon in those days.
The store is known for selling sexual aids.
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occurring between or involving the sexes.
In humans, melatonin concentrations are related to sexual maturation, with significant decreases occurring at the onset of puberty.
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having sexual organs or reproducing by processes involving both sexes.
The patterns of genetic variation in sexual species tend to be very different from those in asexual species.
-sexual
2
American
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a combining form extracted from heterosexual and homosexual, used to describe a person's sexual orientation or identity: polysexual.
pansexual;
polysexual.
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a combining form extracted from metrosexual, used to describe a person's lifestyle, appearance, or way of dressing with regard to attracting or choosing a romantic partner: lumbersexual.
vegansexual;
lumbersexual.
sexual
British
/ ˈsɛksjʊəl /
adjective
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of, relating to, or characterized by sex or sexuality
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(of reproduction) characterized by the union of male and female gametes Compare asexual
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sexual
First recorded in 1645–55; from Late Latin sexuālis, from sexu(s) sex + -ālis -al 1
Compare meaning
How does sexual compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Anything that's related to reproduction can be described as sexual. It's also used to describe an intimate kind of attraction that occurs between people. Sexual reproduction happens in animals (including people) when a female's egg and a male's sperm fuse together and go through a process of cell division which results in a baby — or a litter of baby animals. People also use this adjective for things that are connected to or suggest sex, in both the "intimate contact" sense, and also the physical differences that define men and women.
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:
“She hopes the focus remains on supporting survivors and making sure people who have experienced sexual violence know they are seen, heard and supported.”
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Pillay’s career includes challenging apartheid in South Africa and serving on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she helped establish legal precedents recognizing sexual violence as an act of genocide.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
She has written on and practiced in international criminal law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and more particularly on crimes of sexual violence in conflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The investigations are commissioned by the pontiff and were introduced in 2019 to combat sexual abuse and hold bishops and other high-ranking Catholic Church officials accountable for their actions.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
While race and sexual orientation are perfectly appropriate aspects of one’s identity to embrace, criminality for its own sake most certainly is not.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
GOAT. -polydactylism in the. -sexual differences in horns of. -valued by South Africans.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication — Volume 2 by Charles Darwin
PLUMAGE, inherited peculiarities of, in pigeons. -sexual peculiarities of, in fowls.
From The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication — Volume 2 by Charles Darwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
