heteroromantic

H4E1T1E1R1O1R1O1M3A1N1T1I1C3

adjective

Romantically attracted to those of the opposite gender.

Opposite
Scrabble 21

Meanings

adjectiveheteroromantic (comparative more heteroromantic, superlative most heteroromantic)

comparative more heteroromantic · superlative most heteroromantic

  1. Romantically attracted to those of the opposite gender.

    Often, however, asexual people will also identify with a particular sexual orientation, minus the sexual aspect, and may define themselves as heteroromantic, homoromantic, biromantic, transromantic or panromantic.

    2009, Jennifer Byrne, "He's Just Not That Into Anyone, Pop Matters, 31 August 2009
    3 more examples

    It does not address other kinds of sexuality such as demisexual (sexual attraction is experienced only when accompanied by a strong emotional attraction), pansexual (attraction across all gender identities and biological sexes. Think “gender blind”), and the romantics (Homoromantic/heteroromantic/aromantic making attraction experienced romantically rather than sexually) among others.

    2012 October 5, Kristen Hammond, “Gettin’ down with the sexuality spectrum and where we fit”, in The Elm

    Thus, you can be asexual and biromantic (romantically attracted to men and women), panromantic (romantically attracted to any gender identity), homoromantic (romantically attracted to members of the same sex), or heteroromantic (romantically attracted to members of the opposite sex). Some aces are asexual and aromantic, meaning they enjoy platonic friendships, but don’t experience romantic attraction.

    2013 October 21, Helena Horton, “What is Asexuality?”, in York Vision

    There are different types of ‘aces’, with asexuals being heteroromantic (romantically attracted to the opposite sex); homoromantic (to the same sex); biromantic (to both sexes); panromantic (to both sexes and transsexuals); or aromantic (experiencing little or no romantic attraction to anyone).

    2015 February 23, Alix O'Neill, “What It Feels Like To Be Asexual In A Sex-Obsessed World”, in Marie Claire

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sḿ̥teros
  3. Proto-Hellenic*hə́teros
  4. Ancient Greekἕτερος (héteros)
  5. Englishhetero-
  6. LatinRōma
  7. LatinRōmānus
  8. Latinrōmānicus
  9. Vulgar Latinrōmānicē
  10. Old Frenchromanz
  11. Old Frenchromaunt
  12. Englishromant
  13. Englishromantic
  14. Englishheteroromantic

From hetero- + romantic.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

heteroromantic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroromantic

MLA

“heteroromantic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroromantic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heteroromantic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroromantic.

Source: heteroromantic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.