sexual

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See also: -sexual

English

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis, from sexus (sex); see sex.

Pronunciation

Adjective

sexual (comparative more sexual, superlative most sexual)

  1. Arising from the fact of being male or female; pertaining to sex or gender, or to the social relations between the sexes.
    Women face sexual discrimination in the workplace.
  2. (biology) Capable of sexual reproduction; sexed, sexuate.
  3. Pertaining to sexual intercourse or other intimate physical contact.
    Giving oral sex is my favorite sexual act.
    • 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:
      One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools [] as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.
  4. Characterised by sexual feelings or behaviour; possessing sexuality.
    She's a very sexual woman.
    • 1994, Purity & passion, →ISBN, page 67:
      We don't often think of Jesus as a sexual person, but He certainly was not asexual. He was not just God on earth. He was fully human and [] He was sexual, single, and celibate.
  5. Pertaining to sexuality as a cultural phenomenon; relating to sexual behaviour or conduct.
    a sexual innuendo
    one's sexual preferences
  6. (LGBT, of a person, rare) Experiencing sexual attraction; not asexual.
    Synonym: allosexual
    • 2016, Kyell Gold, Black Angel, Kyell Gold, →ISBN:
      [] “You know, there are asexuals with sexual partners.” His ears flicked, and he grinned. “There's things both of us can try to do []
    • 2017, T. T. Monday, Double Switch, Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, →ISBN, page 98:
      Izzy tells me that at her high school the most useful distinction is not between heterosexuals and homosexuals but between those who are sexual and those who are not. The abstainers call themselves “aces,” short for “asexuals.”
  7. (obsolete) Pertaining to the female sex.
    Synonym: feminine

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

Noun

sexual (plural sexuals)

  1. (biology) A species which reproduces by sexual rather than asexual reproduction, or a member of such a species.
    Antonym: asexual
  2. (LGBT) A person who experiences sexual attraction, a person who has interest in or desire for sex (especially as contrasted with an asexual).
    Synonym: allosexual
    Antonym: asexual
    • 2012, Issues in Sexuality and Sexual Behavior Research: 2011 Edition, ScholarlyEditions, →ISBN:
      The findings suggest that asexuality is best conceptualized as a lack of sexual attraction; however, asexuals varied greatly in their experience of sexual response and behavior. Asexuals partnered with sexuals acknowledged having to 'negotiate' sexual activity.
    • 2015, Mark Carrigan, Kristina Gupta, Todd G. Morrison, Asexuality and Sexual Normativity: An Anthology, Routledge, →ISBN, page 11:
      In this article we use absence of sexual attraction to others as a definition but recognise that this definition is contested. [] [A survey] was also advertised online (without explicitly mentioning asexuality in the advert), thus aiming to reach a mixture of asexuals and sexuals.

Further reading

Anagrams

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /seɡˈswal/,
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Hyphenation: se‧xual

Adjective

sexual (epicene, plural sexuales)

  1. sexual

Related terms

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sexuālis. First attested in 1839.

Pronunciation

Adjective

sexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural sexuals)

  1. sexual

Derived terms

Related terms

References

  1. ^ sexual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024

Further reading

Galician

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective

sexual m or f (plural sexuais)

  1. sexual

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /zɛksuˈaːl/, /sɛksuˈaːl/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: se‧xu‧al

Adjective

sexual (strong nominative masculine singular sexualer, comparative sexualer, superlative am sexualsten)

  1. (uncommon) sexual

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

  • sexual” in Duden online
  • sexual” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Adjective

sexual m (feminine singular sexuala, masculine plural sexuals, feminine plural sexualas)

  1. sexual

Derived terms

Related terms

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sexuālis. By surface analysis, sexo +‎ -ual.

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /sek.suˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /sekˈswaw/ , /se.ki.suˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /se.kiˈswaw/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /sek.suˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /sekˈswaw/
 

  • (Northeast Brazil) IPA(key): /sɛ.ksuˈaw/
  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
  • Hyphenation: se‧xu‧al

Adjective

sexual m or f (plural sexuais, comparable, comparative mais sexual, superlative o mais sexual or sexualíssimo)

  1. sexual

Derived terms

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis. By surface analysis, sex +‎ -ual.

Pronunciation

Adjective

sexual m or n (feminine singular sexuală, masculine plural sexuali, feminine and neuter plural sexuale)

  1. sexual

Declension

References

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /seɡˈswal/
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: se‧xual

Adjective

sexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural sexuales)

  1. sexual (pertaining to the sex of an organism)
  2. sexual (pertaining to having sex)
  3. sexual (pertaining to sexual orientation or identity)
  4. sexual (characterized by sexual feelings or behaviors)

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading