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)
- 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.]
- (biology) Capable of sexual reproduction; sexed, sexuate. [from 19th c.]
- Pertaining to sexual intercourse or other intimate physical contact. [from 18th c.]
- Characterised by sexual feelings or behaviour; possessing sexuality. [from 19th c.]
- Pertaining to sexuality as a cultural phenomenon; relating to sexual behaviour or conduct. [from 19th c.]
- (LGBTQ, of a person, rare) Experiencing sexual attraction; not asexual.
- Synonym: allosexual
- (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)
- (biology) A species which reproduces by sexual rather than asexual reproduction, or a member of such a species.
- Synonym: eusexual
- Antonym: asexual
- (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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- (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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- sexual (pertaining to the sex of an organism)
- sexual (pertaining to having sex)
- sexual (pertaining to sexual orientation or identity)
- 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