Meaning & use
sexuality
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Meanings
noununcountable
A person's sexual feelings, attractions and identity, including whom they are drawn to.
Grammar: Usually used without an or the, often with possessive: his sexuality.
Patterns
- someone's sexuality
- discuss sexuality
She spoke openly about her sexuality.
Teenagers often start thinking about their sexuality.
Nobody should be punished because of their sexuality.
noununcountable
The sexual side of human life or of a work, as a subject of study or expression.
Grammar: Used for the general topic: human sexuality.
Patterns
- human sexuality
The course explores human sexuality from a scientific view.
The novel deals with sexuality and shame.
Common combinations
- explore sexuality
- The film explores sexuality in teenage years.
- human sexuality
- He studies human sexuality at university.
- discrimination based on sexuality
- The law bans discrimination based on sexuality.
- question one's sexuality
- He began to question his sexuality.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sexual orientation
- Sexual orientation names only the direction of attraction, while sexuality is broader.
- gender identity
- Gender identity concerns who someone feels they are, which is a different matter from sexuality.
- sexual identity
- Sexual identity stresses how a person labels themselves, a narrower use than sexuality.
Word family
Commonly confused: sexuality or gender?
sexuality vs gender
Gender concerns being male, female or otherwise, while sexuality concerns attraction.
Practice
The school lesson explained that sexuality is ___.
Choose one answer.
Sexuality concerns attractions and identity, so the first option fits. The others describe other personal traits.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sexuality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.