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sexual orientation
[ sek-shoo-uhl awr-ee-uhn-tey-shuhn, ‐en‐ ]
/ ˈsɛk ʃu əl ˌɔr i ənˈteɪ ʃən, ‐ɛn‐ /
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noun
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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Compare affectional orientation.
Origin of sexual orientation
First recorded in 1990–95
Words nearby sexual orientation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sexual orientation in a sentence
Cultural definitions for sexual orientation
sexual orientation
Preference for sexual activity with people of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both. (See bisexuality, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.