heterosexual
adjective
formaluk/ˌhet.ər.əˈsek.ʃu.əl/us/ˌhet̬.ə.roʊˈsek.ʃu.əl/(informalhetero)sexuallyorromanticallyattractedto men if you are a woman, and women if you are a man:
Thestudyonlyincludedparticipantswho were heterosexual.
involvingpeoplewho are heterosexual:
Divorceratesareincreasingsteadilyamong heterosexualcouples.
Synonym
straight(SEXUALITY)informal
Compare
bisexualadjective
homosexualadjective
- Thecurrenthousingsystemassumesthat everyone is heterosexual andplacespeopleaccordingly: men with men and women with women.
- In someplaces, heterosexualintercourseis theprimarytransmissionrouteforHIV.
heterosexual
noun[C]
formaluk/ˌhet.ər.əˈsek.ʃu.əl/us/ˌhet̬.ə.roʊˈsek.ʃu.əl/(informalhetero)a woman who issexuallyorromanticallyattractedto men, or a man who issexuallyorromanticallyattractedto women:
Heterosexualsaccountfornearlyhalfof all newHIVinfections.
Synonym
straight
Compare
bisexualnoun
homosexualnounformalold-fashioned
- Studyparticipantswhoidentifiedas heterosexuals weretwiceaslikelytofindhousingas otherparticipants.
- Heterosexuals haveenjoyedanumberoflegalprotectionsthroughoutthehistoryofourcountry; newlegislationmerelyextendsto same protections toothers.