homosexual

Borrowed from German Homosexual, from homo- (“same”) + sexual (“relating to sex or sexuality”), coined by Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1868, and popularized in Richard von Krafft-Ebing's 1886 Psychopathia Sexualis (in German) and Charles Gilbert Chaddock's 1892 English translation thereof (compare bisexual), displacing the slightly older term Uranian. Equivalent to homo- +‎ -sexual.

• (Received Pronunciation):
  • IPA^(key): /ˌhɒməʊˈsɛksjuːəl/, /ˌhɒməʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/
  • IPA^(key): /ˌhəʊməʊˈsɛksjuːəl/, /ˌhəʊməʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/

  • Audio (UK)

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• (US):
  • enPR: hō'mə-sĕkʹsho͞o-əl, hō'mō-sĕkʹsho͞o-əl, IPA^(key): /ˌhoʊməˈsɛkʃuːəl/, /ˌhoʊmoʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

homosexual (comparative more homosexual, superlative most homosexual)

1. (of a person or animal, formal, distancing or dated) Sexually and/or romantically attracted to members of the same sex, such as a man who is attracted to men or a woman who is attracted to women; gay. (Typically used in the sense of sole/exclusive attraction.)

   No, it wouldn't make a difference if the applicant was homosexual.

   • 1892 [1889], Charles Gilbert Chaddock, transl., Psychopathia Sexualis‎, Philadelphia: F. A. Davis, translation of Psychopathia Sexualis by R. von Krafft-Ebing, page 97:

     [H]e said he had never noticed anything homosexual in himself.

   • 1983, Michael W. Ross, Homosexuality and Social Sex Roles:

     "Significant results indicate that Swedes would choose a more masculine partner the more homosexual they are, and that Finns would choose a more attractive partner the more homosexual they are."

2. (of a romantic or sexual act or relationship, formal, distancing or dated) Between two people of the same sex; gay.

   Most western countries have repealed laws against homosexual activity between consenting adults.

   • 2022 March 20, Maher, Bill; William Shatner, William Shatner, Club Random With Bill Maher‎, episode 1, Club Random Podcast, archived from the original on 05 April 2022, 56:37 from the start:

     Shatner: Have you ever had a homosexual experience?
     Maher: No. Why, are you...? But it's early!

3. (dated) Intended for or used by homosexuals, as a nightclub, a bar, etc.

   No one says "a homosexual bar" anymore; it's a "gay bar" or maybe a "lesbian bar".

• Many style guides[1] and many gay people[2] recommend against the use of the word "homosexual" because of its clinical and sometimes pejorative connotations, preferring the terms gay and (for women) lesbian, and relationship descriptors like "same-sex relationship". Many consider it particularly pejorative when it is used as a noun, and prefer "gay man", "gay woman" (or "lesbian").
• The first part of the word derives from the Greek word for "same", which is traditionally pronounced /ˈhɒməʊ/, unlike the Latin word homo (“man, human being”), which is pronounced /ˈhəʊməʊ/ (RP). However, it is much more common to pronounce the first vowel as /əʊ/ (RP) / /oʊ/ (US) than as /ɒ/.

• (all senses): gay, lesbian (used only of women)
• (attracted to members of the same sex): See Thesaurus:homosexual
• (between people of the same sex): same-sex

• heterosexual, straight, See also Thesaurus:heterosexual

• heteroflexible
• homoflexible

• (of humans): (sexual orientations) sexual orientation; asexual (-ity, ace), bisexual (-ity, bi), demisexual (-ity, demi), graysexual (-ity), heterosexual (-ity, straight), homosexual (-ity, gay, lesbian), omnisexual (-ity), pansexual (-ity, pan), plurisexual (-ity), polysexual (-ity), robosexual (-ity), sapiosexual (-ity), androsexual (-ity), gynesexual (-ity), vegansexual (-ity) ^{(Category: en:Sexual orientations)}
• (of humans): bi, hetero
• (of humans): homoromantic

homosexual (plural homosexuals)

1. (typically formal, distancing or dated) A person who is sexually attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.
   • 1963, John Rechy, City of Night (page 48)

     Soon, we got up, walked around the west side — toward the "meat rack" — the gay part of the park. There, it was as if someone had hung a line of marionettes on the railing: the lonesome young homosexuals, legs dangling, looking, waiting for that one-night's sexual connection...

   • 1997, The Advocate (number 742, page 9)

     It was unheard-of for those of us who are 30-something or older to have had an openly gay role model when we were young. Homosexuals weren't depicted in the media in a positive light, if at all.

• "Homosexual" as a noun is more often applied to males while females are more likely to be described as lesbians.
• Many style guides and gay people advise against the use of "homosexual" as a noun; see the usage notes above.

• This section is divided into two tables, one containing synonyms that generally are not derogatory and one containing those that generally are. However, note that the non-derogatory terms can nonetheless be used derogatorily, and that some of the derogatory ones are often used humorously and non-derogatorily by gay people and others.

• homo

homosexual (not comparable)

1. homosexual

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /o.mo.sək.suˈal/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /u.mu.sək.suˈal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /o.mo.sek.suˈal/

homosexual (masculine and feminine plural homosexuals)

1. homosexual

homosexual m or f (plural homosexuals)

1. homosexual

• homosexualitat

homo- +‎ sexual

homosexual m or f (plural homosexuais)

1. homosexual

   O comportamento homosexual obsérvase con frecuencia entre os mamíferos.

   Homosexual behaviour is frequently observed among mammals.

homosexual m or f (plural homosexuais)

1. homosexual

• heterosexual

• homosexualidade
• maricón (pejorative)
• homofobia

From French homosexuel. Equivalent to homo- +‎ sexual.

• IPA^(key): /ˌho.mo.sek.suˈal/

homosexual m or n (feminine singular homosexuală, masculine plural homosexuali, feminine and neuter plural homosexuale)

1. homosexual

   În lumea animală se observă comportamentul homosexual relativ frecvent la mamifere și la păsări

   In the animal world, homosexual behaviour is observed relatively frequent in mammals and birds.

homosexual m (plural homosexuali, feminine equivalent homosexuală)

1. homosexual

• homosexualitate
• gay
• lesbian / lesbiană
• poponar (pejorative)
• bulangiu (pejorative)

homo- +‎ sexual

• IPA^(key): /omoseɡˈswal/ [o.mo.seɣ̞ˈswal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ho‧mo‧se‧xual

• Audio (Colombia)

  (file)

homosexual (plural homosexuales)

1. homosexual

   El comportamiento homosexual se observa con frecuencia entre los mamíferos.

   Homosexual behaviour is frequently observed among mammals.

• homosexualmente

homosexual m or f (plural homosexuales)

1. homosexual

   Antonym: heterosexual

• homosexualidad
• maricón (pejorative)
• homofobia

• “homosexual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014