homosexual
adjective
uk/ˌhəʊ.məˈsek.ʃu.əl/us/ˌhoʊ.moʊˈsek.ʃu.əl/sexuallyattractedto men if you are a man and women if you are a woman:
homosexualsex/relationships
Thestudyparticipantswere made up of homosexualcouplesandheterosexualcouples.
Note:
- The adjectivehomosexualsometimes appears in formal writing and medical writing, but it is considered offensive by many people.
Compare
bisexualadjective
heterosexualnounformal
homosexual
noun[C]
formalold-fashioneduk/ˌhəʊ.məˈsek.ʃu.əl/us/ˌhoʊ.moʊˈsek.ʃu.əl/used todescribea man who issexuallyorromanticallyattractedto men, or a woman who issexuallyorromanticallyattractedto women:
During thatperiodin Americanhistory, men who werethoughtto be Communists or homosexuals wereroutinelyinterrogatedand sometimesimprisoned.
Note:
- Except when used in older scientific or technical writing, the nounhomosexualis now considered offensive by many people.
Synonym
gay