What does bisexual mean?
Bisexual is an adjective describing a person who experiences sexual or romantic attraction to both men and women, or more broadly to more than one gender. It is one of the most widely recognised terms for a non-monosexual orientation and sits alongside labels such as pansexual, with which it overlaps; individual preference determines which word someone uses. As a noun, it refers to a person with this orientation. The term carries no inherent formality or stigma and appears freely in everyday speech, journalism, and academic writing. Beyond human identity, bisexual has an older technical meaning in biology, describing plants and other organisms that possess both male and female reproductive structures — a usage that dates from nineteenth-century natural science. Derived forms include bisexuality (the noun denoting the orientation itself) and the informal shortening bi. Because misconceptions persist — such as the idea that bisexuality implies equal attraction or indecision — careful use of the term supports clearer, more respectful discussion of sexual orientation.
Sexually or romantically attracted to both men and women; attracted to more than one gender.
"A openly bisexual actress spoke about representation at the film festival."
A person who is bisexual.
"The survey included responses from gay, lesbian, and bisexual respondents."
When used as a noun referring to a person, some style guides prefer phrasing like 'a bisexual person' over the bare noun, though the noun form is well established and not offensive.
Standard plural, used when referring to multiple people with this orientation. Some prefer collective or adjectival phrasing ('bisexual people') in formal writing.
"The organisation provides resources for bisexuals and their families."
The word 'bisexual' predates much of modern LGBTQ vocabulary — it was used in botany in the 1800s to describe plants with both male and female flowers long before it described human attraction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bisexual
Bisexual derives from Latin bi-, meaning 'two', combined with sexualis, relating to sex, via New Latin formation. The word entered English in the early nineteenth century, first appearing in botanical and zoological contexts to describe organisms with both sexes' reproductive organs. By the late nineteenth century it had extended to human psychology, describing attraction to both sexes. Its prefix bi- connects it to a wide family of English words including bilingual, bicycle, and bisect.
Related word forms
How bisexual is actually used
Neutral and standard in all registers. In contemporary usage, 'bisexual' is increasingly understood as attraction to more than one gender rather than strictly two, though the traditional sense remains common. Some speakers prefer terms like 'bi' informally. The biological sense (hermaphroditic organisms) is now largely technical.
Easily confused with bisexual
Bisexual typically denotes attraction to more than one gender (often framed as both men and women), while pansexual denotes attraction regardless of gender, though the two terms overlap and many people use either based on personal preference.
Heterosexual describes attraction exclusively to the opposite sex, whereas bisexual describes attraction to more than one sex or gender.