hetero
n. countablen. a person who is attracted to people of the opposite sex. It is a short, casual way to say 'heterosexual'.
n. a person whose primary sexual orientation is toward the opposite sex.
He is a hetero who only dates women.
In the survey, participants were asked to identify as hetero, homo, or bi to better understand the local demographics.
While the term hetero is common in casual conversation, academic studies often prefer the full 'heterosexual' to maintain a more neutral and precise tone.
Clipped from heterosexual.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 28, 2026