affectional preference

noun

Sexual or romantic orientation

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Meanings

nounaffectional preference (countable and uncountable, plural affectional preferences)

plural affectional preferences

  1. countabledateduncountableSexual or romantic orientation
    1 more example

    I hear that you and the Ms. are going through a trial separation. I'm certain it's difficult, but really, it's not uncommon for women to come out in their more mature years. I had had hints of her affectional preference for years, but with the separation and now that she is living with her lover in the Himalayas, well, I'm afraid it can't be kept out of the papers any longer.

    1976 December 18, David Holland, “Dear Santa...”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 25, page 11
Cite this entry
APA

affectional preference. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affectional%20preference

MLA

“affectional preference.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affectional%20preference. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “affectional preference,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/affectional%20preference.

Source: affectional preference on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.