homosexual
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from German homosexual, from homo- (“same”) + sexual (“relating to sex or sexuality”), coined by Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1868, and popularized in Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis (2nd ed. 1887, in German) and Charles Gilbert Chaddock's 1892 English translation thereof (compare bisexual), displacing the slightly older term Uranian. Equivalent to homo- + -sexual.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation):
- (US):
Adjective
[edit]homosexual (comparative more homosexual, superlative most homosexual)
- (of a person or other animal, formal, distancing or dated) Sexually and/or romantically attracted to members of the same sex, such as a man who is attracted to men or a woman who is attracted to women; gay. (Typically used in the sense of sole/exclusive attraction.)
- No, it wouldn't make a difference if the applicant was homosexual.
- 1892 [1889], Charles Gilbert Chaddock, transl., Psychopathia Sexualis[1], Philadelphia: F. A. Davis, translation of Psychopathia Sexualis by R. von Krafft-Ebing, page 97:
- [H]e said he had never noticed anything homosexual in himself.
- 1983, Michael W. Ross, Homosexuality and Social Sex Roles:
- "Significant results indicate that Swedes would choose a more masculine partner the more homosexual they are, and that Finns would choose a more attractive partner the more homosexual they are."
- (of a romantic or sexual act or relationship, formal, distancing or dated) Between two people of the same sex; gay.
- Most western countries have repealed laws against homosexual activity between consenting adults.
- 2022 March 20, Bill Maher, William Shatner, 56:37 from the start, in William Shatner, Club Random With Bill Maher[2], episode 1, Club Random Podcast, archived from the original on 05 April 2022:
- Shatner: Have you ever had a homosexual experience?
Maher: No. Why, are you...? But it's early!
- (dated) Intended for or used by homosexuals, as a nightclub, a bar, etc.
- 1983 December 24, “Effort To Close Gay Businesses Underway”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 23, page 2:
- A petition drive to close all homosexual establishments in response to an assumed general AIDS contagion was begun in late October, according to The Weekly News of Miami.
Usage notes
[edit]- Many style guides[1] and many gay people[2] recommend against the use of the word "homosexual" because of its clinical and sometimes pejorative connotations, preferring the terms gay and (for women) lesbian, and relationship descriptors like "same-sex relationship". Many consider it particularly pejorative when it is used as a noun, and prefer "gay man", "gay woman" (or "lesbian").
- The first part of the word derives from the Greek word for "same", which is traditionally pronounced /ˈhɒməʊ/, unlike the Latin word homo (“man, human being”), which is pronounced /ˈhəʊməʊ/ (RP). However, it is much more common to pronounce the first vowel as /əʊ/ (RP) / /oʊ/ (US) than as /ɒ/.
Synonyms
[edit]- (all senses): gay, lesbian (used only of women)
- (attracted to members of the same sex): See Thesaurus:homosexual
- (between people of the same sex): same-sex
Antonyms
[edit]- heterosexual, straight, See also Thesaurus:heterosexual
Hyponyms
[edit]Coordinate terms
[edit]- (of humans): (sexual orientations) sexual orientation; asexual (-ity, ace), bisexual (-ity, bi), demisexual (-ity, demi), graysexual (-ity), heterosexual (-ity, straight), homosexual (-ity, gay, lesbian), omnisexual (-ity), pansexual (-ity, pan), polysexual (-ity), sapiosexual (-ity), androsexual (-ity), gynesexual (-ity) (Category: en:Sexual orientations)
- (of humans): bi, hetero
- (of humans): homoromantic
Derived terms
[edit]- antihomosexual
- fauxmosexual
- globohomo
- Homintern
- homo
- homocapitalism
- Homocaust
- homocon
- homocrat
- Homocrat
- homosexless
- homosexual agenda
- homosexualisation
- homosexualise
- homosexualism
- homosexualist
- homosexuality
- homosexualization
- homosexualize
- homosexually
- homosexual marriage
- homosexualness
- homosexual panic defense
- nonhomosexual
- pseudohomosexual
- queerosexual
- sinthomosexual
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Noun
[edit]homosexual (plural homosexuals)
- (typically formal, distancing or dated) A person who is sexually attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.
- 1936, Melville J. Herskovits, Frances S. Herskovits, Suriname folk-lore[3], New York: Columbia University Press, page 32:
- It must not be understood that homosexuality is confined to women. Relationships of this type exist also among men, and in taki-taki are to be found words which are specific designations for male homosexuals, who are termed hantimąn, or awɛge.
- 1963, John Rechy, City of Night, page 48:
- Soon, we got up, walked around the west side — toward the "meat rack" — the gay part of the park. There, it was as if someone had hung a line of marionettes on the railing: the lonesome young homosexuals, legs dangling, looking, waiting for that one-night's sexual connection...
- 1997, The Advocate, number 742, page 9:
- It was unheard-of for those of us who are 30-something or older to have had an openly gay role model when we were young. Homosexuals weren't depicted in the media in a positive light, if at all.
Usage notes
[edit]- "Homosexual" as a noun is more often applied to males while females are more likely to be described as lesbians.
- Many style guides and gay people advise against the use of "homosexual" as a noun; see the usage notes above.
Synonyms
[edit]- This section is divided into two tables, one containing synonyms that generally are not derogatory and one containing those that generally are. However, note that the non-derogatory terms can nonetheless be used derogatorily, and that some of the derogatory ones are often used humorously and non-derogatorily by gay people and others.
- of either sex
- gay (but see usage notes at gay)
- invert (dated psychological term)
- queer
- same-sexer
- only of men
- company man
- Uranian (historical, 19th century)
- only of women
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]
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References
[edit]- ^ GLAAD media reference guide, citing the AP and NYT style guides.
- ^ NYT article
Basque
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from Spanish homosexual.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /omos̺eks̺ual/ [o.mo.s̺ek.s̺u.al], /omos̺eks̺wal/ [o.mo.s̺eks̺.wal]
Audio: (file) - Rhymes: -ual, -eks̺wal
Adjective
[edit]homosexual (not comparable)
Declension
[edit]indefinite | singular | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
absolutive | homosexual | homosexuala | homosexualak |
ergative | homosexualek | homosexualak | homosexualek |
dative | homosexuali | homosexualari | homosexualei |
genitive | homosexualen | homosexualaren | homosexualen |
comitative | homosexualekin | homosexualarekin | homosexualekin |
causative | homosexualengatik | homosexualarengatik | homosexualengatik |
benefactive | homosexualentzat | homosexualarentzat | homosexualentzat |
instrumental | homosexualez | homosexualaz | homosexualez |
inessive | homosexualetan | homosexualean | homosexualetan |
locative | homosexualetako | homosexualeko | homosexualetako |
allative | homosexualetara | homosexualera | homosexualetara |
terminative | homosexualetaraino | homosexualeraino | homosexualetaraino |
directive | homosexualetarantz | homosexualerantz | homosexualetarantz |
destinative | homosexualetarako | homosexualerako | homosexualetarako |
ablative | homosexualetatik | homosexualetik | homosexualetatik |
partitive | homosexualik | — | — |
prolative | homosexualtzat | — | — |
Related terms
[edit]- homosexualitate (“homosexuality”)
Further reading
[edit]- “homosexual”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], Euskaltzaindia
Catalan
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): (Central) [ˌɔ.mu.sək.suˈal]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [ˌɔ.mo.sək.suˈal]
- IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˌɔ.mo.sek.suˈal]
Adjective
[edit]homosexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural homosexuals)
Noun
[edit]homosexual m or f by sense (plural homosexuals)
Related terms
[edit]Galician
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Adjective
[edit]homosexual m or f (plural homosexuais)
- homosexual
- O comportamento homosexual obsérvase con frecuencia entre os mamíferos.
- Homosexual behaviour is frequently observed among mammals.
Noun
[edit]homosexual m or f by sense (plural homosexuais)
Antonyms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]- homosexualidade
- maricón (pejorative)
- homofobia
German
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Coined by Austro-Hungarian writer, journalist, translator and bibliographer Karl-Maria Kertbeny in 1868, from homo- + sexual.
Adjective
[edit]homosexual (strong nominative masculine singular homosexualer, not comparable)
- Dated form of homosexuell.
- 1869, Anonymous [Karl Maria Kertbeny], Paragraph 143 des preußischen Strafgesetzbuches vom 14. April 1851 […] , page 36:
- Denn das Wort „Entartung“ bezog sich ohne Zweifel auf jene Individuen, welche von solchen homosexualen Leidenschaften befallen sind, und activ sich Personen zu deren Befriedigung suchen […]
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1889, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, “Psychische Hermaphrodisie”, in Psychopathia Sexualis, page 99:
- Bei eingehenderer Exploration erklärt sich Pat. für wesentlich doch homosexual, Empfindung und Trieb zum anderen Geschlecht nur für etwas Episodisches, Grobsinnliches. So leide sie zwar gegenwärtig schrecklich unter sexuellen Drängen zu jenem Manne ihrer Umgebung, aber ein edlerer und höherer Genuss sei es ihr, auf eine sanftgerundete, weiche Mädchenwange einen Kuss zu hauchen.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1928, Kurt Tucholsky, Sprechstunde am Kreuz[4]:
- »Wie er aber dann das Resultat seines jünglinghaften Empfindens und Denkens, die Frucht jahrelanger Isoliertheit und melancholischer Anwandlungen, die Stimmung einer ganz reinen, von sinnlichen Regungen freien, fast homosexual gearteten, dabei glücklich und heiter veranlagten Seele in seinen lehrhaften Gesängen und Preisungen einer menschenumfassenden, selbstlosen Nächstenliebe aushauchte und ausströmte, […] «
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Declension
[edit]Coordinate terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Romanian
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from French homosexuel. By surface analysis, homo- + sexual.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]homosexual m or n (feminine singular homosexuală, masculine plural homosexuali, feminine and neuter plural homosexuale)
- homosexual
- În lumea animală se observă comportamentul homosexual relativ frecvent la mamifere și la păsări
- In the animal world, homosexual behaviour is observed relatively frequent in mammals and birds.
Declension
[edit]singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | homosexual | homosexuală | homosexuali | homosexuale | ||
definite | homosexualul | homosexuala | homosexualii | homosexualele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | homosexual | homosexuale | homosexuali | homosexuale | ||
definite | homosexualului | homosexualei | homosexualelor | homosexualilor |
Noun
[edit]homosexual m (plural homosexuali, feminine equivalent homosexuală)
Declension
[edit]singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) homosexual | homosexualul | (niște) homosexuali | homosexualii |
genitive/dative | (unui) homosexual | homosexualului | (unor) homosexuali | homosexualilor |
vocative | homosexualule | homosexualilor |
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]References
[edit]- homosexual in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
Spanish
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /omoseɡˈswal/ [o.mo.seɣ̞ˈswal]
Audio (Colombia): (file) - Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: ho‧mo‧se‧xual
Adjective
[edit]homosexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural homosexuales)
- homosexual
- El comportamiento homosexual se observa con frecuencia entre los mamíferos.
- Homosexual behaviour is frequently observed among mammals.
Derived terms
[edit]Noun
[edit]homosexual m or f by sense (plural homosexuales)
- homosexual
- Antonym: heterosexual
Related terms
[edit]- homofobia
- homosexualidad
- maricón (pejorative)
Further reading
[edit]- “homosexual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
- English terms borrowed from German
- English terms derived from German
- English terms prefixed with homo-
- English terms suffixed with -sexual
- English 5-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English formal terms
- English dated terms
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Sexual orientations
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English hybridisms
- en:LGBT
- Basque terms borrowed from Spanish
- Basque terms derived from Spanish
- Basque terms with IPA pronunciation
- Basque terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:Basque/ual
- Rhymes:Basque/ual/5 syllables
- Rhymes:Basque/eks̺wal
- Rhymes:Basque/eks̺wal/4 syllables
- Basque lemmas
- Basque adjectives
- Basque uncomparable adjectives
- eu:LGBT
- eu:Sexual orientations
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- Catalan nouns
- Catalan countable nouns
- Catalan feminine nouns with no feminine ending
- Catalan masculine nouns
- Catalan feminine nouns
- Catalan nouns with multiple genders
- Catalan masculine and feminine nouns by sense
- ca:LGBT
- ca:Sexual orientations
- Galician terms prefixed with homo-
- Galician lemmas
- Galician adjectives
- Galician terms with usage examples
- Galician nouns
- Galician countable nouns
- Galician masculine nouns
- Galician feminine nouns
- Galician nouns with multiple genders
- Galician masculine and feminine nouns by sense
- gl:Sexual orientations
- gl:Sexuality
- German coinages
- German terms prefixed with homo-
- German lemmas
- German adjectives
- German uncomparable adjectives
- German dated forms
- German terms with quotations
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms prefixed with homo-
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Romanian/al
- Rhymes:Romanian/al/5 syllables
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian adjectives
- Romanian terms with usage examples
- Romanian nouns
- Romanian countable nouns
- Romanian masculine nouns
- ro:Sexuality
- Spanish terms prefixed with homo-
- Spanish 4-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Spanish terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:Spanish/al
- Rhymes:Spanish/al/4 syllables
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish epicene adjectives
- Spanish terms with usage examples
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish masculine nouns
- Spanish feminine nouns
- Spanish nouns with multiple genders
- Spanish masculine and feminine nouns by sense
- es:Sexual orientations
- es:Sexuality