What does ambisexual mean?
Ambisexual is an adjective describing someone who is sexually attracted to, or responsive to, people of both sexes — in effect a synonym of bisexual. It can also describe things, such as clothing or facilities, that are intended for or shared by both sexes, though this second use has largely been taken over by the word 'unisex'. The word combines the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning 'both' or 'around', with 'sexual', echoing formations like ambidextrous and ambivalent. Although it is well established in dictionaries, ambisexual remains relatively rare in everyday speech; it tends to surface in older psychological, sociological, or literary texts, and many readers today encounter it for the first time in print rather than conversation. When discussing personal identity, contemporary writers overwhelmingly prefer 'bisexual', which carries clearer social meaning and broader acceptance. Knowing ambisexual is nevertheless useful for reading older scholarship and literature fluently, and its construction offers a tidy illustration of how Latin prefixes shape English vocabulary.
Sexually attracted to or responsive to people of both sexes; bisexual.
"She described herself in her diary as ambisexual decades before the term gained wider currency."
Rare in modern speech; 'bisexual' is now the standard term for this sense.
(Of clothing, facilities, or spaces) designed for or usable by either sex; unisex.
"The office building featured ambisexual restrooms on every floor."
Largely replaced by 'unisex' in current usage.
It borrows the same 'both' prefix as ambidextrous — but instead of using two hands equally, it means responding equally to both sexes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ambisexual
Ambisexual was formed within English from the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning 'both' or 'on both sides' (as in ambidextrous and ambiguous), joined to 'sexual'. It emerged in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century alongside the growth of sexology and psychology, when writers sought precise terminology for patterns of sexual responsiveness. Its closest relatives are the other ambi- formations borrowed from or modeled on Latin, including ambivalent and ambient.
Related word forms
How ambisexual is actually used
'Ambisexual' is considerably less common than 'bisexual' in contemporary usage and may strike some readers as clinical or dated; it appears most often in older sociological, psychological, or literary writing. In modern contexts about identity, 'bisexual' or 'pansexual' is generally preferred, while 'unisex' has largely displaced the word for the second sense concerning clothing and facilities.
Easily confused with ambisexual
Bisexual is the far more common term for attraction to more than one sex or gender; 'ambisexual' is a rarer synonym that emphasizes responsiveness to both sexes rather than an identity label.
Asexual means experiencing little or no sexual attraction, whereas ambisexual means being responsive to both sexes.
Ambidextrous refers to equal skill with both hands; it shares only the Latin prefix 'ambi-' ('both') with ambisexual, which concerns sexual responsiveness.