bisexual

adjective

bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
-shəl
1
a
see usage paragraph below : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's same sex and of the opposite sex
also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities
b
biology : possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic
Usually, the sexes are separate but some plants bear bisexual flowers at different times of the year and these may suddenly become exclusively female.—Stephen K-M. Tim
2
: of, relating to, involving, or characteristic of both sexes
A number of insects combine the advantages of parthenogenesis with those of bisexual reproduction using an alternation of generations.—R. F. Chapman
The Bionic Woman of the television serial of the seventies … has the bisexual name of Jamie Summers.—Marina Warner
bisexual noun
bisexuality
ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwa-lə-tē How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
noun
bisexually
(ˌ)bī-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wə-lē How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
-sh(ə-)lē
adverb
Usage of Bisexual

While educational and advocacy groups tend to define bisexual broadly as applying to sexual or romantic attraction to members of one's own gender identity as well as to members of other gender identities, the older, narrower application describing attraction to male and female people persists among English speakers, aided, no doubt, by the word's morphology: the prefix bi- means "two." Note that while the broader meaning of bisexual can be understood as occupying the same semantic territory as pansexual, there are people who identify as one but not the other, as well as people who identify as both.

Examples of bisexual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her muses, her husbands, her lovers–Lempicka was bisexual–the European and American jet set. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Some experts expressed hope that doxycycline use among gay and bisexual men would have a positive spillover effect in women of childbearing age. —Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024 Cook, who is bisexual, won reelection to her position as the Senator for District 15, near Houston. —James Factora, Them, 6 Nov. 2024 Here’s Why This Grammy-winning rapper came out as bisexual in such an iconic way. —Han Schneider, Them, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bisexual 

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of bisexual was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near bisexual

bisexed

bisexual

Bisharin

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bisexual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bisexual. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

bisexual

adjective
bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
-ˈsek-shəl
1
: possessing characters of or having sexual desire for both sexes
2
: of, relating to, or involving two sexes
bisexual noun
bisexuality
ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

bisexual

1 of 2 adjective
bi·​sex·​u·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wəl, -ˈsek-shəl How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
1
a
: possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive structures : hermaphroditic
b
: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to individuals of one's same sex and of the opposite sex
also : of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's own gender identity and of other gender identities
2
: of, relating to, or involving two sexes
bisexual reproduction
bisexuality
ˌbī-ˌsek-shə-ˈwal-ət-ē How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
noun
plural bisexualities
bisexually
(ˈ)bī-ˈseksh-(ə-)wə-lē, -(ə-)lē How to pronounce bisexual (audio)
adverb

bisexual

2 of 2 noun
: a bisexual individual

More from Merriam-Webster on bisexual

Nglish: Translation of bisexual for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bisexual for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...