heterosexual
3 synonyms and 2 antonyms for heterosexual, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Romantically or sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adj
Romantically or sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.
“Most of the characters in the show are heterosexual.”
Opposites
2. noun
A person who is heterosexual.
“The survey asked respondents whether they identified as heterosexual, gay, or bisexual.”
Etymology
Built from the prefix "hetero-" ("different, other") plus "sexual." First recorded in English in 1892, in a translation of Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis.
Full origin of heterosexual →