Polysexual - meaning and definition
Alsopolysexualitypoly sexual
Definition
Describes a person attracted to many, but not necessarily all, genders.
At a glance
- Means attraction to many, but not necessarily all, genders.
- Part of the bi+ family of labels.
- Useful for people who feel all genders does not describe them.
- Has nothing to do with polyamory, despite the shared prefix.
In detail
Polysexual is part of the bi+ family of labels. It is useful for people whose attraction covers several genders but who do not feel that "all genders" or "regardless of gender" describes them.
Despite the shared prefix, polysexual has nothing to do with polyamory, which describes having more than one relationship.
In a sentence
- I use polysexual because I'm attracted to several genders, but not to every gender.
- No, polysexual isn't about having multiple partners, that's polyamory.
Where the word comes from
From Greek poly, meaning many, combined with sexual, following the pattern of other bi+ labels.
Not to be confused with
- Polyamory
Polyamory is a relationship style, not an orientation.
Common questions
Is polysexual the same as polyamorous?
No. Polysexual describes which genders someone is attracted to. Polyamorous describes having, or being open to, more than one relationship with everyone's consent. A person can be one, both or neither.
How is polysexual different from bisexual?
Bisexual means attraction to more than one gender. Polysexual specifically means many but not all genders. In practice the words overlap and people choose the one that feels right.