bisexuality

Definition of Bisexuality

(noun) Emotional, physical, romantic, or sexual attraction to members of the same and opposite sex based on a binary of female and male.

Example of Bisexuality

• In a polyamorous relationship, where an individual expresses sexual desire for both the other men and women involved.

Bisexuality Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: bi·sex·u·al·i·ty

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˌbaɪˌsɛkʃəˈwælədi/
• British English – /ˌbʌɪsɛkʃʊˈalᵻti/

Usage Notes

• Plural: bisexualities
• A bisexual individual is not necessarily attracted to both sexes at the same time or in the same manner and extent.
• Bisexuality is compared and contrasted to asexuality, heterosexuality, homosexuality and pansexuality.
• Variant spelling: bi-sexuality
• An (noun) bisexual lives (adverb) bisexually.

Additional Information

• Sex and Gender Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “bisexuality” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• achieved status
• ascribed status
• demography
• discrimination
• gender
• power
• role
• status
• stereotype

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Works Consulted

Brym, Robert J., and John Lie. 2007. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Collins English Dictionary: Complete and Unabridged. 6th ed. 2003. Glasgow, Scotland: Collins.

Crooks, Robert, and Karla Baur. 2014. Our Sexuality. 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

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Farlex. (N.d.) TheFreeDictionary.com: Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus. Farlex. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/).

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Kornblum, William. 2008. Sociology in a Changing World. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Bisexuality

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “bisexuality.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/bisexuality/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

bisexuality. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/bisexuality/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “bisexuality.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/bisexuality/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“bisexuality.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/bisexuality/>.