sexual orientation

American  

[sek-shoo-uhl awr-ee-uhn-tey-shuhn, ‐en‐] / ˈsɛk ʃu əl ˌɔr i ənˈteɪ ʃən, ‐ɛn‐ /

noun

sexual orientations plural

1. one's inherent attraction to a sexual partner of a certain gender, or the absence of gender preference in a sexual relationship; one’s identity as asexual, bisexual, heterosexual, gay, pansexual, etc.

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sexual orientation Cultural  

1. Preference for sexual activity with people of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both. (See bisexuality, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sexual orientations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sexual orientation

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sexual orientation

Clayton County, a 2020 Supreme Court decision that established workplace discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Other research confirms that “male sexual orientation is expressed on a continuum rather than dichotomously,” as one 2020 study put it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

The ECJ ruled that the Hungarian law interfered with rights such as a ban on discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, respect for private and family life and freedom of expression and information.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

Almost 30 states have curbed or outlawed “therapy” that seeks to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity—that is, to make them stop being gay, bisexual, or transgender.

From Slate ● Mar. 31, 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