English
Pronunciation
audio|en-uk-homosexual.ogg|Audio (UK)
RP:
*IPA|/�h��m���s�ksju��l/, SAMPA|/%h@Um@U"sEksju:@l/
*IPA|/�h��m���s�k�u��l/, SAMPA|/%hoUm�U"sEkSu:@l/
*IPA|/�h�m���s�ksju��l/, SAMPA|/%hQm@U"sEksju:@l/
*IPA|/�h�m���s�k�u��l/, SAMPA|/%hQm�U"sEkSu:@l/
US:
*enPR|h�'m�-s�kʹsho�o-�l, IPA|/�ho�m��s�k�u��l/, SAMPA|/%hoUm@"sEkSu:@l/
*enPR|h�'m�-s�kʹsho�o-�l, IPA|/�ho�mo��s�k�u��l/, SAMPA|/%hoUmoU"sEkSu:@l/
Adjective
en-adj-more
- context|of a person or animal sexually|Sexually attracted solely or primarily to other members of the same sex.
#* 1983: Michael W. Ross, Homosexuality and Social Sex Roles
#*: "Significant results indicate that Swedes would choose a more masculine partner the more homosexual they are, and that Finns would choose a more attractive partner the more homosexual they are."
- Pertaining to homosexuality, as a relationship, an attraction, a desire, etc.
- Intended for or used by homosexuals, as a nightclub, a bar, etc.
Usage notes
Many homosexual people prefer to be referred to by the adjective (and noun) gay.
Many female homosexuals prefer to be referred to as lesbians.
Many people now avoid using the term homosexual because of the emphasis this term places on sexuality. Indeed, the words gay and lesbian, which stress cultural and social matters over sex, are frequently better choices. Homosexual is most objectionable when used as a noun; here "gay man" and either "gay woman" or "lesbian" and their plural forms are called for. It is generally unobjectionable when used adjectivally, as in "a homosexual relationship", although "gay", "lesbian", or "same-sex" are also available for adjectival use.
Pronunciation: The word "homosexual" derives from the Greek word for "same", which is traditionally pronounced /�h�m��/, /<tt>"hQm@U</tt>/ in words derived from it, rather than the Latin word homo#Latin|homo, meaning "man", which is pronounced /�h�m��/, /<tt>"hQm�U</tt>/ (RP) in English words derived from it. Hence the etymology indicates that the appropriate pronunciation of the vowel in the first syllable is /�/, /<tt>Q</tt>/, but the pronunciation with the long vowel /��/, /<tt>@U</tt>/ in this position is much more commonly heard, and is the only correct pronunciation of the shortened form homo.
Because of the similarity of homo- to the Latin word for man, the term homosexual is sometimes interpreted as meaning "sexually attracted solely or primarily to [other] men".
Synonyms
(sexually attracted solely or primarily to the same sex): gay, lesbian (used only of women)
(involving or relating to homosexuals): gay, lesbian (used only of women), same-sex
(intended for or used by homosexuals): gay, lesbian (used only of women)
Antonyms
(sexually attracted solely or primarily to the same sex): heterosexual, straight
(involving or relating to homosexuals): heterosexual, mixed-sex, other-sex, straight
(intended for or used by homosexuals): heterosexual, straight
Translations
trans-top|sexually attracted solely or primarily to the same sex
Bulgarian: �омо�ек��ален (khomoseksualen) m
Cebuano: bayot] [[bakla
Chinese: zh-ts|���|��� (tóngxìnglià n)
Danish: homoseksuel
Dutch: homoseksueel
Esperanto: samseksema
Faroese: samkyndur
Finnish: homoseksuaalinen, homo
French: homosexuel m, homosexuelle f
German: homosexuell
Greek,
:Ancient: κίναιδο� (kinedos) m
:Modern: ομο��λ��ιλο� (omofilófilos), κίναιδο� (kinedos) m
Hungarian: homoszexuális
trans-mid
Interlingua: homosexual#Interlingua|homosexual
Italian: omosessuale m|f
Japanese: ���� (��������, d�seiaisha)
Latin: homosexualis
Polish: homoseksualny m, gej m, lesbijka f
Portuguese: homossexual
Russian: гомо�ек��ал�н�й
Scottish Gaelic: co-sheòrsach m
Serbian:
:Cyrillic: ге� m, �омо�ек��алан m, лезбо f
:Roman: gej m, homoseksualan m, lezbo f
Spanish: homosexual
Swedish: homosexuell
trans-bottom
trans-top|involving or relating to homosexuals
Finnish: homoseksuaalinen
trans-mid
trans-bottom
trans-top|intended for or used by homosexuals
Finnish: homo-
trans-mid
trans-bottom
Noun
en-noun
- A person who is attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.
Usage notes
Female homosexuals are also known as lesbians, a term preferred by many of them. As homosexual applies to people of either sex, the expression homosexuals and lesbians is a pleonasm and is best replaced by "homosexuals" or "lesbians" alone as appropriate, or "gay people" (see also the usage notes for the adjective, and for gay).
Synonyms
This section is divided into two tables, one containing synonyms that generally are not derogatory and one containing those that generally are. However, note that the non-derogatory terms can nonetheless be used derogatorily, and that some of the derogatory ones are often used humorously and non-derogatorily by gays and allies.
rel-top3|non-derogatory synonyms
;of either sex:
gay (but see usage notes at gay)
homosexualist (archaic or humorous)
invert (dated psychological term)
rel-mid3
;only of men:
company man
rel-mid3
;only of women:
lesbian
sapphist
rel-bottom
rel-top3|derogatory synonyms
;of either sex:
bugger
fruit (especially US)
homo
moffie (South African slang)
queer
rel-mid3
;only of men:
fag (US slang)
faggot (especially US)
fairy
flamer (especially US)
nance, nancy, nancy boy
pansy
queen
pederast (chiefly if the partner is adolescent)
sodomite (but see usage notes at sodomite)
rel-mid3
;only of women:
lesbo (used only of women)
dyke
rel-bottom
Translations
Afrikaans: homoseksueel
Arabic: ARchar|شاذ جÙ�سÙ�ا|شاذÙ� جÙ�Ù�سÙ�Ù�Ù�ا IPAchar|(Å¡aððu jinsÃyan) m
Bulgarian: �омо�ек��али�� m, гей m
Cebuano: bayot
Chinese: zh-ts|����|���� (tóngxìnglià nzh�)
Danish: homoseksuel g|Danish
Dutch: homoseksueel m, homo m
Esperanto: samseksemo
Finnish: homoseksuaali, homoseksualisti, homo
French: homosexuel m, homosexuelle f
German: Homosexueller m, Homosexuelle f
Greek: ομοιο�ιλ��ιλο� m, λε�βία f italbrac|woman
Hungarian: homoszexuális
Interlingua: homosexual#Interlingua|homosexual
mid
Italian: omosessuale m|f
Indonesian: homosex
Latin: homosexualis m
Maori: t�ingo, tak�pui, takat�pui
Polish: homoseksualista m, lesbijski f
Portuguese: homossexual m|f
Russian: гомоÑ�екÑ�Ñ�алиÑ�Ñ� (gomoseksualÃst) m
Scottish Gaelic: co-sheòrsach m
Serbian:
:Cyrillic: ге� m, �омо�ек��ала� m, лезбе�ка f, Vulgar педе� m
:Roman: gej m, homoseksualac m, lezbejka f, Vulgar peder m
Spanish: homosexual m|f
Swedish: homosexuell c, homo c
Basque
Adjective
infl|eu|adjective
- l|en|homosexual
Romanian
Etymology
F.|ro term|lang=fr|homosexuel
Pronunciation
IPA|[ho.mo.se.ksu'al]|lang=ro
Adjective
ro-adj|4
- l|en|homosexual
Declension
ro-adj-4
Noun
ro-noun|gendm|plhomosexuali|f=homosexual�
- l|en|homosexual
Declension
ro-noun-m
Related terms
l|ro|homosexualitate
l|ro|gay
l|ro|lesbian / l|ro|lesbian�
l|ro|poponar (pejorative)
l|ro|bulangiu (pejorative)
Spanish
Etymology
prefix|homo|sexual|lang=es
Adjective
es-adj|pl=homosexuales
- l|en|homosexual
Noun
es-noun-mf|pl=homosexuales
- l|en|homosexual
Antonyms
l|es|heterosexual
Related terms
l|es|homosexualidad
l|es|maricón i|pejorative
ca:homosexual
el:homosexual
es:homosexual
fr:homosexual
io:homosexual
id:homosexual
pl:homosexual
pt:homosexual
ro:homosexual
ru:homosexual
fi:homosexual
vi:homosexual
tr:homosexual
zh:homosexual
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