| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| homosexual |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ho·mo·sex·u·al |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  h  m -s k sh -l, -m- |
| ADJECTIVE: | Of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex. | | NOUN: | Usage Problem A homosexual person; a gay man or a lesbian. | | USAGE NOTE: | Many people now avoid using 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 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. See Usage Note at gay.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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