Demisexual - meaning and definition
Alsodemidemisexualitydemi sexual
Definition
Describes a person who only experiences sexual attraction after forming a strong emotional bond with someone.
At a glance
- Sexual attraction appears only after a strong emotional bond.
- Part of the asexual spectrum.
- Describes when attraction happens, not a moral choice or a dating rule.
- Often shortened to demi on profiles.
In detail
Demisexuality is part of the asexual spectrum. A demisexual person usually does not feel sexual attraction to strangers or people they only know by sight, but may feel it towards someone they have come to know and trust deeply.
It is about when attraction appears, not a moral stance or a preference for waiting. On dating apps, "demi" in a profile often signals that someone wants to build a connection before anything physical.
In a sentence
- I'm demi, so I need to really know someone before I feel any spark.
- Being demisexual explained why I never felt anything on first dates.
Where the word comes from
From demi (half) and sexual, suggesting a place between asexual and allosexual. The word was coined in online asexual communities around 2006.
Not to be confused with
- Waiting before sex
Choosing to wait is a decision; demisexuality describes how attraction arises.
Common questions
Is demisexuality just wanting to wait?
No. Anyone can choose to wait. Demisexuality is about attraction itself not appearing until there is a close bond.
Can demisexual people have casual relationships?
Some do and some do not. The label describes attraction, not behaviour, so people make their own choices.