Origin: Latin suffix -al
Homosexual has 4 different meanings across 2 categories:
someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex
"After years of hiding his feelings, he finally came out as a homosexual man to his supportive family."
A person who is sexually attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.
"After years of confusion, he finally came out as homosexual because his romantic feelings were exclusively directed toward other men."
In plain English: A homosexual is someone who feels romantic attraction to people of their own gender.
"He is an advocate for equal rights for all homosexuals in society."
sexually attracted to members of your own sex
"After years of denial, he finally admitted that he was homosexual and deeply in love with a man from his childhood neighborhood."
Sexually (and/or romantically) attracted to members of the same sex, for example, like a man who is attracted to men or a woman who is attracted to women. (Sometimes used in the sense of sole/exclusive attraction.)
"After years of uncertainty, he finally came out as homosexual when he realized his feelings were exclusively directed toward other men."
In plain English: Homosexual describes someone who is romantically or sexually attracted to people of their own gender.
"The community celebrated with pride after their local newspaper published an article about homosexual rights."
Usage: Use "homosexual" as an adjective before nouns such as relationships or attractions rather than describing people directly, where terms like gay are often preferred in modern usage. Avoid using this word when referring to individuals unless necessary for formal medical or legal contexts due to its potential clinical tone.
The word "homosexual" comes from German, where it was coined in 1868 by combining the prefix "homo-" meaning "same" with "sexual." It was later popularized in English translations of medical texts and replaced an older term called Uranian.