German word

homosexuell

Pronunciation

IPA/ˌhomosɛksuˈɛl/

Meaning

  • adjectivegay

Example

Er ist ein homosexueller Mann.

He is a gay man.

Illustration for homosexuell (gay)

More examples

Viele Paare führen eine homosexuelle Beziehung.

Many couples are in a gay relationship.

Core concept

A person falls in love with or feels sexual attraction toward someone of the same sex.

Common phrases

  • homosexuelle Beziehung

    gay relationship

  • sich als homosexuell outen

    come out as gay

  • als homosexuell gelten

    be considered gay

Similar words

schwul: Describing men who are sexually attracted to men in informal conversation.
gay: Describing same-sex sexual orientation in a neutral conversational way.
lesbisch: Describing women who are sexually attracted to women.
gleichgeschlechtlich: Describing relationships or marriages between people of the same sex in formal language.

Definition in German

Ein Adjektiv für Menschen, die sich sexuell oder romantisch zum gleichen Geschlecht hingezogen fühlen.

Word origin

Homosexuell is formed from Greek homos, 'same', and Latin sexus, 'sex', a combination adopted in modern terminology for sexual orientation.

Usage tips

  • Homosexuell is relatively formal; schwul, lesbisch, or gay may be more natural in personal or conversational contexts, depending on the person and situation.

Other meanings

  • homosexualadjective

Opposites

  • heterosexuellheterosexualadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word