homosexual
[ hoh-muh-sek-shoo-uh l or, esp. British, -seks-yoo- ]
/ ˌhoʊ məˈsɛk ʃu əl or, esp. British, -ˈsɛks yu- /
adjective
Older Use: Sometimes Disparaging.
sexually attracted to members of one's own sex: homosexual students.
Older Use: Sometimes Disparaging.
of or relating to sexual desire or behavior directed toward members of one's own sex: the homosexual subculture.
Archaic.
of, relating to, or noting the same sex: pregnant with homosexual twins.
noun
Older Use: Sometimes Disparaging.
a homosexual person.
usage note for homosexual
Up until 1986,
homosexuality was listed in
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), psychiatry's standard reference on the classification of mental illness. People aware of this former categorization may feel that the term
homosexual stills carries a negative connotation. And some feel that this word places undue emphasis on sexual activity, or that it sounds overly clinical. In fact,
homosexual as an adjective and noun is somewhat dated, except in medical and other formal contexts; the term
gay has mostly replaced it. People who still use
homosexual are usually unaware that the term may be a sensitive one, although some do use it with intent to cause offense. However, not all members of the gay community object to it. See also
gay.
OTHER WORDS FROM homosexual
an·ti·ho·mo·sex·u·al, adjectiveWords nearby homosexual
homopterous,
homorganic,
homoromantic,
homoscedastic,
homoserine,
homosexual,
homosexuality,
homosocial,
homosporous,
homospory,
homostyled
Example sentences from the Web for homosexual
British Dictionary definitions for homosexual
homosexual
/ (ˌhəʊməʊˈsɛksjʊəl, ˌhɒm-) /
noun
a person who is sexually attracted to members of the same sex
adjective
of or relating to homosexuals or homosexuality
of or relating to the same sex
Compare
heterosexual
Medical definitions for homosexual
homosexual
[ hō′mə-sĕk′shōō-əl, -mō- ]
adj.
Of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex.
n.
A homosexual person; a gay man or a lesbian.