heterosexuality
heterosexuality — noun
1. the situation in which a person feels romantic or physical desire toward people
the situation in which a person feels romantic or physical desire toward people whose sex is different from their own
Mei-Lin never questioned her heterosexuality; she had always had crushes on boys in her class.
uncountable noun as subject of 'questioned'
A 2022 study in Brazil examined how schools treat heterosexuality as the unspoken norm in sex education classes.
passive: heterosexuality is treated as [the norm]
Diego's family accepted his heterosexuality without surprise, since he had always dated women.
A national survey in Kenya asked young adults whether they identified as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.
Ananya traced the history of the term heterosexuality back to an 1869 German pamphlet for her college paper.
- straightness
very informal; used in relaxed conversations, not in formal or academic writing
- heterosexual orientation
more explicit about orientation as a category, common in psychology and sociology
- homosexuality
the condition of being attracted to the same sex; the most common antonym in both formal and informal contexts
用法筆記
Frequently contrasted with homosexuality and bisexuality in discussions of sexual orientation. The adjective heterosexual describes a person; the noun heterosexuality describes the orientation itself.
常見錯誤
heterosexuality — adjective
1. describing someone who feels romantic or physical desire toward people of a sex
describing someone who feels romantic or physical desire toward people of a sex that is different from their own
Liam is heterosexual and has been married to his wife Rosa for twelve years.
predicative adjective: [subject] is heterosexual
A high school in Manchester teaches students about both heterosexual and same-sex relationships in health class.
attributive adjective: heterosexual relationships
Omar's parents are both heterosexual, so they asked their gay son many questions about his life.
Yuki joined a club for LGBTQ+ allies even though she herself is heterosexual.
In many Korean workplaces, new employees are assumed to be heterosexual unless they state otherwise.
- straight
informal equivalent; very common in everyday speech and informal writing
- homosexual
describing someone attracted to the same sex; the formal antonym
- gay
informal antonym, though gay more often refers to homosexual men in particular
用法筆記
Can be used both before a noun (attributive: 'a heterosexual couple') and after a linking verb (predicative: 'He is heterosexual').
常見錯誤
2. relating to physical sexual acts that involve two people of different sexes
relating to physical sexual acts that involve two people of different sexes
Chapter seven of the biology textbook covered heterosexual reproduction in chimpanzees and gorillas.
attributive adjective in scientific context
Emma learned about heterosexual intercourse during her high school health education class.
Vikram read a medical article about the heterosexual transmission of the infection.
A 2023 hospital study compared pregnancy rates among heterosexual couples with those using IVF treatments.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (ROMANTIC ATTRACTION): this sense focuses specifically on physical sexual activity rather than romantic feelings or orientation. It is most common in medical, biological, and public-health writing.
3. relating to classification into male and female categories for biological or org
relating to classification into male and female categories for biological or organizational purposes, not to romantic orientation
In biology class, Deepa learned that some plant species have a heterosexual reproductive system, with male flowers and female flowers on separate plants.
attributive adjective in biology context
The botanical guide describes willows as a heterosexual species, with male catkins and female catkins growing on separate trees.
attributive adjective: heterosexual species (biology context)
Hassan compared the body sizes of male and female fish in heterosexual species for his project.
Lucia noted that traditional ballroom waltz lessons require a heterosexual pairing of one man and one woman dancing together.
- unisexual
referring to a single sex; used in biology
用法筆記
This sense is mostly limited to technical or formal contexts — biology (species with separate sexes) or formal descriptions of sex-segregated activities. In everyday language about people, sense 1 (ROMANTIC ATTRACTION) is far more common.