asexual en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /eɪˈsɛk.ʃuː.əl/ (UK)
- (General-American) audio
- (Southern-England) audio
- /eɪˈsɛk.ʃu.əl/ (US)
- /eɪˈsɛk.sjuː.əl/ (UK)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *sek-der. Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder. Proto-Italic *seksus Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin secō Latin secāre? Latin sexus Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin sexuālisbor. English sexual English -sexual English asexual From a- (“lacking, without”) + -sexual. Piecewise doublet of unsexual.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Non-sexual in nature, unmarked by sexual activity.
The central paradox of Linton's writing was her inability, or unwillingness, to imagine an asexual friendship between women.
2004, Martha Vicinus, Intimate Friends: women who loved women, 1778-1928, page 150:
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(especially, not-comparable, of a person) Not experiencing sexual attraction; lacking interest in or desire for sex.
Benoit is determined to ensure other asexual (or “ace”) people don’t feel broken or alone in a world in which lust and desire pulsate through our entire culture.
2021 March 21, Jamie Waters, “‘I don’t want sex with anyone’: the growing asexuality movement”, in The Observer:Many asexual people experience attraction, but feel no need to act out that attraction sexually. Because they don't see a lack of sexual arousal as a problem to be corrected, asexual people focus their energy on enjoying other types of arousal and pleasure.
2010, Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin, Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality, fourth edition, pages 357-358:
- (not-comparable) Lacking distinct sex, lacking sexual organs.
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(not-comparable) Without sexual action; reproducing by some other method than sex.
asexual reproduction
They traced the ancient lineages of two species to reveal the insects' lengthy history of asexual reproduction.
2011 July 19, Ella Davies, “Stick insects survive one million years without sex”, in BBC:
Antonyms
Coordinates
Deriveds
gray asexual · ace · asexual spore · asexualization · asexualise · asexy · bi-asexual · asexualism · asexually · asexuality · asexualist · asexual reproduction · asexualize · asexual division
Synonyms
asexy · ace · epicene · a-spec
Translations (97)
pt assexuado (having no distinct sex) · be бяспло́цевы (having no distinct sex) · gl asexual (having no interest in sex) · fi epäseksuaalinen (having no interest in sex) · bn নিষ্কামী (having no interest in sex) · fr asexué (having no distinct sex) · gv neucheintyssagh (without sexual action) · it asessuato (having no distinct sex) · ka ასექსუალური (having no interest in sex) · gl asexuado (having no distinct sex) · kk жыныссыз (having no distinct sex) · tr aseksüel (having no distinct sex) · id aseksual (having no interest in sex) · sk nepohlavný (having no distinct sex) · el άφυλος (having no distinct sex) · ru беспо́лый (having no distinct sex) · ar لَاجِنْسِيَّة (without sexual action) · scn asissuali (having no interest in sex) · da ukønnet (having no distinct sex) · ro asexual (having no interest in sex) · ja 無性の (having no distinct sex) · nl aseksueel (without sexual action) · nb ukjønnet (having no distinct sex) · kk асексуалдық (without sexual action) · es asexual (having no interest in sex) · hu ivartalan (without sexual action) · bg безпо́лов (having no distinct sex) · it asessuale (without sexual action) · fr asexuel (having no distinct sex) · fi suvuton (without sexual action) · nn ukjønna (having no distinct sex) · mi tōkaikore (without sexual action) · tl awansariin (without sexual action) · fr asexué (without sexual action) · it asessuato (without sexual action) · de geschlechtslos (having no distinct sex) · el ασεξουαλικός (having no interest in sex) · fr asexuel (having no interest in sex) · tl asog (having no distinct sex) · de asexuell (having no interest in sex) · fr asexuel (without sexual action) · nn aseksuell (having no distinct sex) · tr aseksüel (having no interest in sex) · pl aseksualny (having no interest in sex) · nl aseksueel (having no interest in sex) · sk asexuálny (having no interest in sex) · be бяспо́лы (having no distinct sex) · bg а́сексуа́лен (having no interest in sex) · pl bezpłciowy (having no distinct sex) · da aseksuel (having no distinct sex) · el άγαμος (without sexual action) · hi अलैंगिक (having no interest in sex) · mi hōkakakore (having no interest in sex) · hu aszexuális (having no interest in sex) · hu ivartalan (having no distinct sex) · uk безстате́вий (having no distinct sex) · nl geslachtloos (having no distinct sex) · ru асексуа́льный (having no interest in sex) · fi aseksuaalinen (having no distinct sex) · scn asissuatu (having no interest in sex) · da aseksuel (having no interest in sex) · is kynlaus (having no distinct sex) · el άφυλος (without sexual action) · el άγαμος (having no interest in sex) · is kynlaus (without sexual action) · pt assexual (having no interest in sex) · it asessuale (having no interest in sex) · scn asissuatu (having no distinct sex) · fi sukupuoleton (having no distinct sex) · nl aseksueel (having no distinct sex) · nb aseksuell (having no distinct sex) · fa ناجنسی (having no interest in sex) · sk asexuálny (having no distinct sex) · nb aseksuell (having no interest in sex) · ar لَاجِنْسِيّ (without sexual action) · nn aseksuell (having no interest in sex) · hu aszexuális (having no distinct sex) · mk бесполен (having no distinct sex) · gl asexual (without sexual action) · sk bezpohlavný (having no distinct sex) · tr aseksüel (without sexual action) · it asessuato (having no interest in sex) · ru беспо́лый (without sexual action) · cs bezpohlavní (having no distinct sex) · eo neseksema (having no interest in sex) · pt assexual (without sexual action) · sv asexuell (having no interest in sex) · sk nesexuálny (without sexual action) · el άφυλος (having no interest in sex) · scn asissuali (without sexual action) · hu aszexuális (without sexual action) · eo neseksa (having no distinct sex) · af aseksueel (having no interest in sex) · scn asissuatu (without sexual action) · es asexual (without sexual action) · ro asexual (without sexual action) · eo neseksa (without sexual action)