Allosexual - meaning and definition
Alsoallozedsexualallosexualitynon-asexualallos
Definition
Describes a person who experiences sexual attraction, used as the counterpart to asexual.
At a glance
- Describes people who experience sexual attraction.
- Used as the counterpart to asexual.
- Avoids describing asexuality only as a lack compared with an unnamed normal.
- The matching romantic term is alloromantic.
- Often shortened to allo.
In detail
Allosexual was introduced so that asexuality would not be described only as a lack compared with a nameless "normal". It works in the same way that "cisgender" names the counterpart to transgender.
The matching romantic term is alloromantic, meaning someone who experiences romantic attraction.
In a sentence
- My partner is allosexual and I'm ace, so we talk openly about what each of us needs.
- The article compared asexual and allosexual people's experiences of dating apps.
Where the word comes from
From Greek allos, meaning other, combined with sexual. It became common in asexual communities in the 2010s as a neutral counterpart to asexual.
Common questions
Why is a word like allosexual needed?
Without it, people tend to describe asexual people as lacking something compared with normal people. Naming the counterpart, as cisgender does for transgender, puts both experiences on equal footing.