Meanings
nounsexual orientation (countable and uncountable, plural sexual orientations)
plural sexual orientations
- countableuncountableThe tendencies of a person's sexual attraction, considered as a whole.
There are more sexual orientations than simple homosexuality and heterosexuality.
- countableobsoleteuncountableThe process of orientation with regard to a sexual goal or potential partner.
Synonyms: sexuality, sexual preference
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe process of orientation with regard to a sexual goal or potential partner.
Similar
Origin
Coined by New Zealand American psychologist, sexologist, and college professor John Money.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans seksuele oriëntasie
- seksuele oriëntasiesexual orientation
Arabic تَوَجُّه جِنْسِيّ, مَيْل جِنْسِيّ
- تَوَجُّه جِنْسِيّ (tawajjuh jinsiyy)sexual orientation
- مَيْل جِنْسِيّ (mayl jinsiyy)sexual orientation
Basque sexu-joera, orientazio sexual
- sexu-joerasexual orientation
- orientazio sexualsexual orientation
Bengali যৌন অভিমুখীতা
- যৌন অভিমুখীতা (jōun obhimukhita)sexual orientation
Bulgarian сексуа́лна ориента́ция, резба́
- сексуа́лна ориента́ция (seksuálna orientácija)sexual orientation
- резба́ (rezbá)sexual orientation
Catalan orientació sexual
- orientació sexualsexual orientation
Chinese Mandarin 性傾向 /性倾向, 性取向
- 性傾向 /性倾向 (xìngqīngxiàng)sexual orientation
- 性取向 (xìngqǔxiàng)sexual orientation
- 性指向 (xìngzhǐxiàng)sexual orientation
- 性位向 (xìngwèixiàng)sexual orientation
- 性向 (xìngxiàng)sexual orientation
Czech sexuální orientace
- sexuální orientacesexual orientation
Danish seksuel orientering
- seksuel orienteringsexual orientation
Dutch seksuele geaardheid, seksuele oriëntatie
- seksuele geaardheidsexual orientation
- seksuele oriëntatiesexual orientation
- seksuele gerichtheidsexual orientation
- geaardheidsexual orientation
Esperanto seksa orientiĝo
- seksa orientiĝosexual orientation
Estonian seksuaalne orientatsioon, seksuaalne suundumus
- seksuaalne orientatsioonsexual orientation
- seksuaalne suundumussexual orientation
Finnish seksuaalinen suuntautuminen
- seksuaalinen suuntautuminensexual orientation
French orientation sexuelle
- orientation sexuellesexual orientation
German sexuelle Orientierung, sexuelle Ausrichtung
- sexuelle Orientierungsexual orientation
- sexuelle Ausrichtungsexual orientation
- sexuelle Neigungsexual orientation
Greek σεξουαλικός προσανατολισμός
- σεξουαλικός προσανατολισμός (sexoualikós prosanatolismós)sexual orientation
Hebrew נטייה מינית
- נטייה מינית (netiya minit)sexual orientation
Hindi यौन अभिविन्यास
- यौन अभिविन्यास (yaun abhivinyās)sexual orientation
Hungarian szexuális irányultság
- szexuális irányultságsexual orientation
Icelandic kynhneigð
- kynhneigðsexual orientation
Indonesian orientasi seksual
- orientasi seksualsexual orientation
Irish claonadh gnéasach
- claonadh gnéasachsexual orientation
Italian orientamento sessuale
- orientamento sessualesexual orientation
Japanese 性的指向, 性指向
- 性的指向 (seitekishikō)sexual orientation
- 性指向 (seishikō)sexual orientation
- セクシュアルオリエンテーション (sekushuaru orientēshon)sexual orientation
Korean 성적 지향
- 성적 지향 (seongjeok jihyang)sexual orientation
Latin propensio sexualis
- propensio sexualissexual orientation
Latvian seksuālā orientācija
- seksuālā orientācijasexual orientation
Lithuanian seksualinė orientacija, lytinė orientacija
- seksualinė orientacijasexual orientation
- lytinė orientacijasexual orientation
Malay orientasi seksual
- orientasi seksualsexual orientation
Māori aronga hōkaka, aronga taera
- aronga hōkakasexual orientation
- aronga taerasexual orientation
- taeratangasexual orientation
- hōkakatangasexual orientation
Norwegian seksuell leggning, legning
- seksuell leggningsexual orientation
- legningsexual orientation
Norwegian Bokmål seksuell orientering
- seksuell orienteringsexual orientation
Persian گرایش جنسی
- گرایش جنسی (garâyeš-e jensi)sexual orientation
Polish orientacja seksualna
- orientacja seksualnasexual orientation
Portuguese orientação sexual
- orientação sexualsexual orientation
Punjabi ਲਿੰਗਕ ਅਨੁਸਥਾਪਨ
- ਲਿੰਗਕ ਅਨੁਸਥਾਪਨ (liṅgak anusthāpan)sexual orientation
Romanian orientare sexuală
- orientare sexualăsexual orientation
Russian сексуа́льная ориента́ция
- сексуа́льная ориента́ция (sɛksuálʹnaja orijentácija)sexual orientation
Slovak sexuálna orientácia
- sexuálna orientáciasexual orientation
Spanish orientación sexual
- orientación sexualsexual orientation
Swedish sexuell läggning
- sexuell läggningsexual orientation
Tagalog oryentasyong seksuwal
- oryentasyong seksuwalsexual orientation
Tamil பாலியல் நாட்டம்
- பாலியல் நாட்டம் (pāliyal nāṭṭam)sexual orientation
Thai รสนิยมทางเพศ
- รสนิยมทางเพศ (rs̄niym thāng pheṣ̄)sexual orientation
Turkish cinsel yönelim, cinsel tercih
- cinsel yönelimsexual orientation
- cinsel tercihsexual orientation
Ukrainian сексуа́льна орієнта́ція
- сексуа́льна орієнта́ція (seksuálʹna orijentácija)sexual orientation
Urdu جنسی کشش
- جنسی کششsexual orientation
Vietnamese thiên hướng tình dục, xu hướng tình dục
- thiên hướng tình dụcsexual orientation
- xu hướng tình dụcsexual orientation
Welsh cyfeiriadedd rhywiol, rhywioledd
- cyfeiriadedd rhywiolsexual orientation
- rhywioleddsexual orientation
- rhywioldebsexual orientation
Yiddish סעקסואַלער אָריענטאַציע
- סעקסואַלער אָריענטאַציע (seksualer oryentatsye)sexual orientation
Cite this entry
APA
sexual orientation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20orientation
MLA
“sexual orientation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20orientation. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sexual orientation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20orientation.
Source: sexual orientation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.