Sexual Orientation Terminology

noun a sexual orientation or behavior characterized by romantic or sexual attraction between women

• The history of lesbianism dates back to ancient times.
• She is exploring her feelings towards lesbianism.
• Some people still use derogatory terms to refer to lesbianism.
• In literature, the theme of lesbianism is often used to symbolize rebellion against societal norms.

noun a person's choice of sexual partner

adjective relating to or involving sexual preference

• It is important to respect everyone's sexual preference in a professional setting.
• I don't really care about someone's sexual preference as long as they are a good person.
• Who cares about sexual preference? Love is love.
• Your sexual preference does not define your worth as a person.

adjective relating to or characterized by a sexual orientation that is not limited to people of a particular gender or sexual orientation

• The psychologist explained that an omnisexual individual is attracted to people regardless of their gender identity.
• My friend came out as omnisexual and we had a long conversation about their experiences with dating.
• Some people think being omnisexual means you're just greedy and can't make up your mind.
• She described her love for music as omnisexual, as she enjoyed all genres equally.

noun a person who is attracted to people regardless of their gender or sex

adjective relating to or characteristic of a person who is attracted to people regardless of their gender or sex

• The concept of novosexuality is still a relatively new area of study in the field of human sexuality.
• I recently learned about novosexual identities and found it really interesting.
• Some people use the term 'novosexual' to describe their unique sexual orientation.
• Exploring novosexuality can open up new perspectives on the diverse nature of human sexuality.

noun a person who finds intelligence to be the most attractive feature in a potential partner

• She identified as a sapiosexual, meaning she was attracted to intelligence above all else.
• I consider myself a sapiosexual because I find intelligence incredibly sexy.
• Some people call themselves 'sapio' for short when describing their sapiosexual orientation.
• In a world full of distractions, she was a sapiosexual drawn to the beauty of intellect.

noun a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for attraction to people of any gender or sexual identity

• Pansexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for attraction to people regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.
• I recently learned about pansexuality and how it differs from other sexual orientations.
• Some people mistakenly think pansexuality means being attracted to pans, but that's not true.
• Her acceptance of all people regardless of gender is like a rainbow flag waving proudly in support of pansexuality.

noun a person who is sexually attracted to themselves

adjective relating to or characteristic of being sexually attracted to oneself

• The concept of autosexual identity has gained recognition in academic literature.
• Some people may joke that they are autosexual because they enjoy spending time alone.
• I heard that guy is totally autosexual, he never dates anyone.
• Being autosexual in this context means being self-sufficient and content with oneself.

adjective relating to or practicing polyamory, the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time

• The couple decided to explore a polyamorous relationship to include other partners.
• She's currently dating two people at the same time, she's polyamorous.
• Have you heard about that new show featuring a polyamorous trio?
• Being polyamorous means having a heart big enough to love more than one person at a time.