asexual
/eɪˈsɛk.ʃu.əl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.91 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Non-sexual in nature, unmarked by sexual activity.
adj
Not experiencing sexual attraction; lacking interest in or desire for sex.
adj
Without sexual action; reproducing by some other method than sex.
noun
A species which reproduces by asexual rather than sexual reproduction, or a member of such a species.
noun
A person who does not experience sexual attraction; a person who lacks interest in or desire for sex.
Example Sentences
- "The central paradox of Linton's writing was her inability, or unwillingness, to imagine an asexual friendship between women."
- "Many asexual people experience attraction, but feel no need to act out that attraction sexually. Because they don't see a lack of sexual arousal as a problem to be corrected, asexual people focus their energy on enjoying other types of arousal and pleasure."
- "Benoit is determined to ensure other asexual (or “ace”) people don’t feel broken or alone in a world in which lust and desire pulsate through our entire culture."
- "asexual reproduction"
- "They traced the ancient lineages of two species to reveal the insects' lengthy history of asexual reproduction."
- "11.2 Demonstrating the Status of Long-Lived Asexuals … Indeed, if sex has so many advantages, then which special adaptations - if any - allow long-term survival without it? However, the main task of the research teams dealing with such putative ancient asexuals has thus far been to demonstrate that their respective groups (mainly bdelloids, darwinulids and certain lineages within orbatid mites) indeed merit the status."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Hellenic *ə- Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-)der. English a- Proto-Indo-European *sek-der. Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder. Proto-Italic *seksus Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin secō Latin secāre? Latin sexus Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin sexuālisbor. English sexual English -sexual English asexual From a- (“lacking, without”) + -sexual. Piecewise doublet of unsexual.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /eɪˈsɛk.ʃu.əl/
- British English: /eɪˈsɛk.ʃuː.əl/