sexuality
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being sexual
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preoccupation with or involvement in sexual matters
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the possession of sexual potency
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sexuality
Explanation
The noun sexuality can refer to sexual matters of all kinds. It often describes having sexual feelings. A novel about a teenager growing up may examine the awakening sexuality of its main character. Sexuality also describes a person's sexual preferences and orientation — meaning whether you're gay or straight. Sexuality can refer to erotic experiences, but it can also be used broadly to refer to how organisms — whether human or animal — reproduce. There are scientists who exclusively study sexuality, from the mating habits of animals to the peculiarities of how humans pair up.
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.
This model of sexuality is presented time and again as the standard.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
"They were focused on male endocrine health, not sexuality or identity."
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
He made history as the first out gay chief executive of a Fortune 500 company, writing about his sexuality in a 2014 essay for Bloomberg Businessweek.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
My sexuality doesn’t require me to reject all that is ‘normal’ and ‘legitimate.’
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
That was the day Aech had finally come out to her mother about her sexuality.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
