sexual

English Online Dictionary. What means sexual‎? What does sexual mean?

English

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis, from sexus (“sex”), equivalent to sex +‎ -ual.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.ʃuː.əl/, /ˈsɛk.sju.əl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.ʃu.əl/, /ˈsɛk.ʃəl/
• Rhymes: -ɛkʃuːəl
• Hyphenation: sex‧ual

Adjective

sexual (comparative more sexual, superlative most sexual)

1. Arising from the fact of being male or female; pertaining to sex or gender, or to the social relations between the sexes. [from 17th c.]

2. (biology) Capable of sexual reproduction; sexed, sexuate. [from 19th c.]
3. Pertaining to sexual intercourse or other intimate physical contact. [from 18th c.]
4. Characterised by sexual feelings or behaviour; possessing sexuality. [from 19th c.]
5. Pertaining to sexuality as a cultural phenomenon; relating to sexual behaviour or conduct. [from 19th c.]

6. (LGBTQ, of a person, rare) Experiencing sexual attraction; not asexual.

   Synonym: allosexual
7. (obsolete) Pertaining to the female sex. [17th–19th c.]

   Synonym: feminine

Derived terms

Related terms

• sex

Descendants

• Japanese: セクシャル (sekusharu)

Translations

See also

• See also Thesaurus:copulation

Noun

sexual (plural sexuals)

1. (biology) A species which reproduces by sexual rather than asexual reproduction, or a member of such a species.

   Synonym: eusexual

   Antonym: asexual

2. (LGBTQ) A person who experiences sexual attraction, a person who has interest in or desire for sex (especially as contrasted with an asexual).

   Synonym: allosexual

   Antonym: asexual

Further reading

• “sexual”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “sexual”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• aluxes

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sekˈswal/ [sekˈswal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: se‧xual

Adjective

sexual (epicene, plural sexuales)

1. sexual

Related terms

• sexu

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sexuālis. First attested in 1839.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [sək.suˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [sek.suˈal]

Adjective

sexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural sexuals)

1. sexual

Derived terms

• assetjament sexual
• orientació sexual
• sexualitat
• sexualment

Related terms

• sexe

References

Further reading

• “sexual”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “sexual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “sexual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛksuˈal/ [s̺ɛk.s̺uˈɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: se‧xu‧al

Adjective

sexual m or f (plural sexuais)

1. sexual

Derived terms

• sexualidade
• sexualmente

Related terms

• sexo

Further reading

• “sexual”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zɛksuˈaːl/, /sɛksuˈaːl/
• Hyphenation: se‧xu‧al

Adjective

sexual (strong nominative masculine singular sexualer, comparative sexualer, superlative am sexualsten)

1. (uncommon) sexual

Declension

Derived terms

• sexualisieren

Related terms

• sexuell

Further reading

• “sexual” in Duden online
• “sexual” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

sexual m (feminine singular sexuala, masculine plural sexuals, feminine plural sexualas)

1. sexual

Derived terms

• sexualitat

Related terms

• sèxe

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sexuālis. By surface analysis, sexo +‎ -ual.

Pronunciation

• (Northeast Brazil) IPA^(key): /sɛ.ksuˈaw/
• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: se‧xu‧al

Adjective

sexual m or f (plural sexuais, comparable, comparative mais sexual, superlative o mais sexual or sexualíssimo)

1. sexual

Derived terms

• sexualidade
• sexualmente

Further reading

• “sexual”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin sexuālis. By surface analysis, sex +‎ -ual.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [seksuˈal]

Adjective

sexual m or n (feminine singular sexuală, masculine plural sexuali, feminine and neuter plural sexuale)

1. sexual

Declension

References

• “sexual”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin sexuālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seɡˈswal/ [seɣ̞ˈswal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: se‧xual

Adjective

sexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural sexuales)

1. sexual (pertaining to the sex of an organism)
2. sexual (pertaining to having sex)
3. sexual (pertaining to sexual orientation or identity)
4. sexual (characterized by sexual feelings or behaviors)

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “sexual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10