HETEROSEXUAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does heterosexual mean? 

• HETEROSEXUAL (noun)
  The noun HETEROSEXUAL has 1 sense:

1. a person having a sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex

  Familiarity information: HETEROSEXUAL used as a noun is very rare.

• HETEROSEXUAL (adjective)
  The adjective HETEROSEXUAL has 1 sense:

1. sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex

  Familiarity information: HETEROSEXUAL used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HETEROSEXUAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person having a sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

heterosexual; heterosexual person; straight; straight person

Hypernyms ("heterosexual" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Derivation:

heterosexual (sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex)

• HETEROSEXUAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex

Similar:

straight (not homosexual)

Attribute:

sex; sex activity; sexual activity; sexual practice (activities associated with sexual intercourse)

Antonym:

bisexual (sexually attracted to both sexes)

homosexual (sexually attracted to members of your own sex)

Derivation:

heterosexual (a person having a sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex)

heterosexuality (a sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the opposite sex)

 Context examples 

A multi-center study of HIV disease progression and heterosexual transmission begun in 1982.

(Multicenter Hemophilia Cohort Study, NCI Thesaurus)

To include: Pregnant women, Women at risk of HIV infection, Transmission of HIV between heterosexual partners, Female prostitutes, Perinatal transmission of HIV.

(AIDS Related Research, Women, NCI Thesaurus)