Borrowed from German homosexual, from homo- + sexual, coined by Karl Maria Kertbeny in 1868, and popularized in Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis (2nd ed.

• (RP):
  • IPA: /ˌhɒməʊˈsɛksjuːəl/, /ˌhɒməʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/
  • IPA: /ˌhəʊməʊˈsɛksjuːəl/, /ˌhəʊməʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/
• (America):
  • enPR: hō'mə-sĕkʹsho͞o-əl, hō'mō-sĕkʹsho͞o-əl, IPA: /ˌhoʊməˈsɛkʃuːəl/, /ˌhoʊmoʊˈsɛkʃuːəl/

homosexual

1. (of a person or other animal, formal, distancing or dated) Sexually and/or romantically attracted to members of the same sex, such as a man who is attracted to men or a woman who is attracted to women; gay. (Typically used in the sense of sole/exclusive attraction.)

   No, it wouldn't make a difference if the applicant was homosexual.

2. (of a romantic or sexual act or relationship, formal, distancing or dated) Between two people of the same sex; gay.

   Most western countries have repealed laws against homosexual activity between consenting adults.

3. (dated) Intended for or used by homosexuals, as a nightclub, a bar, etc.

   No one says "a homosexual bar" anymore; it's a "gay bar" or maybe a "lesbian bar".

• (all senses) gay, lesbian (used only of women)
• (attracted to members of the same sex) See Thesaurus:homosexual
• (between people of the same sex) same-sex

• heterosexual, straight, See also Thesaurus:heterosexual

• French: homosexuel, homosexuelle
• German: homosexuell, schwul
• Italian: omosessuale
• Portuguese: homossexual
• Russian: гомосексуа́льный
• Spanish: homosexual

• Portuguese: homossexual, homo, gay
• Russian: гомосексуа́льный

• Portuguese: homossexual, homo, gay
• Russian: гомосексуа́льный

homosexual (plural homosexuals)

1. (typically, formal, distancing or dated) A person who is sexually attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.
   • 1963, John Rechy, City of Night, page 48:

     Soon, we got up, walked around the west side — toward the "meat rack" — the gay part of the park. There, it was as if someone had hung a line of marionettes on the railing: the lonesome young homosexuals, legs dangling, looking, waiting for that one-night's sexual connection...

• This section is divided into two tables, one containing synonyms that generally are not derogatory and one containing those that generally are. However, note that the non-derogatory terms can nonetheless be used derogatorily, and that some of the derogatory ones are often used humorously and non-derogatorily by gay people and others.
• gay (but see usage notes at gay)
• invert (dated psychological term)
• queer
• same-sexer
• company man
• Uranian (historical)
• lesbian
• sapphist
• bugger
• fruit (especially US)
• homo
• moffie (South African slang)
• fag (US slang)
• faggot (especially US)
• pole-smoker
• fairy
• flamer (especially US)
• nance, nancy, nancy boy
• pansy
• poofter
• queen
• pederast (chiefly if the partner is adolescent)
• sodomite
• swish
• light in the loafers
• lesbo
• dyke
• muff-diver
• carpet muncher
• scissor sister

• French: homosexuel, homosexuelle, lesbienne
• German: Homosexueller, Homosexuelle
• Italian: omosessuale
• Portuguese: homossexual, homo, gay
• Russian: гомосексуали́ст
• Spanish: homosexual