Family Studies Terminology

noun a person born of parents not married to each other; an illegitimate child

adjective of inferior quality or condition

• The man was rumored to be a bastard child of the king.
• I can't believe that bastard cut me off in traffic.
• That guy is such a bastard, always causing trouble.
• The difficult math problem was a real bastard to solve.

noun a person who is sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex

adjective of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to be sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex

• The study focused on the differences in marriage rates between heterosexual and homosexual couples.
• She mentioned that her brother is heterosexual and is currently dating a woman.
• Some people still hold outdated beliefs about what it means to be heterosexual.
• The author used the concept of a heterosexual relationship as a metaphor for societal norms.

noun a baby that is born dead

adjective referring to a baby that is born dead

• The doctor informed the couple that their baby was stillborn.
• I heard that their baby was stillborn, it's so heartbreaking.
• I can't imagine the pain of losing a stillborn baby.
• The project was stillborn from the beginning and never had a chance to succeed.