heterosexual
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.attracted to people of the opposite sex.
adj.sexually or romantically attracted to individuals of the opposite sex or gender.
Simple“He identified as heterosexual and had only ever dated women.”
In context“The study examined the social experiences of heterosexual men in predominantly female-dominated professional environments.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.involving a man and a woman.
adj.pertaining to or involving individuals of different sexes.
Simple“They were a heterosexual couple who had been married for ten years.”
In context“The legislation was originally designed to provide benefits exclusively to heterosexual married couples before the law was amended.”
Synonymsmixed sexAntonymssame sex - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who is attracted to the opposite sex.
n.a person who is sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex.
Simple“The survey asked if the participant was a heterosexual, a homosexual, or bisexual.”
In context“Sociologists often compare the domestic habits of heterosexuals with those of same-sex couples to identify broader cultural trends.”
“Photograph: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images I ask if she sees right now as a particularly fractious moment for heterosexual dating, and she looks at me quizzically.”
“Second, the studies tended to target majority-white participants who were cisgender heterosexual women, with limited focus on LGBTIQA+ communities, international students or staff, and students of color.”
From hetero- + -sexual. Earliest citation from 1892, in C.G. Craddock's translation of Krafft-Ebbing's Psychopathia Sexualis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.