Etymology

homosexuality

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Today it means: The state of being sexually and romantically attracted primarily or exclusively to persons of the same sex, sometimes (potentially offensive) restricted to same-sex attraction between males. Full definition →

First used 1892German Homosexualität ← French homosexualité
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The story

  1. French · derived fromhomosexualité
  2. German · derived fromHomosexualität
  3. English todayhomosexuality

From homosexual + -ity, equivalent to homo- + sexuality and after the model of German Homosexualität, coined by journalist Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1869, and French homosexualité, attested in 1891.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1892 The state of being sexually and romantically attracted primarily or exclusively to persons of the same sex, sometimes (potentially offensive) restricted to same-sex attraction between males.
  • from 1897 Sexual activity with a person of the same sex, sometimes (potentially offensive) restricted to same-sex sex between males.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.