pansexual

adjective

pan·​sex·​u·​al ˌpan-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl How to pronounce pansexual (audio)
-shəl
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation
Pansexual people are attracted to all kinds of people, regardless of their gender, sex or presentation.Farhana Khan
also : not solely gay (see gay entry 1 sense 1a) or straight (see straight entry 1 sense 3h)
The famous 0-6 scale … was devised to chart sexual proclivities, from purely heterosexual (0) to purely homosexual (6). Kinsey felt humans are pansexual (most falling somewhere between 0 and 6), and restrictions imposed by society and religion lead to sexual maladjustments. Lisa C. Hickman
2
: tending to suffuse all experience and conduct with erotic feeling
Although Whitman's impulses were homoerotic, he was pansexual in the sense that he could find the driving force of something such as sex in almost everything …Peter Craven
pansexual noun
A pansexual is someone who can be attracted to males, females, transgender people and those who identify as non-binary (not female or male). Mel Evans
pansexuality noun
or less commonly pansexualism
"I am pansexual," he [Chris Stuckmann] admitted towards the end of the 56-minute clip. "If you don't know what pansexuality is, essentially you are attracted to all genders, and that's me." Sam Damshenas

Examples of pansexual in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ben Affleck stars as Holden McNeil, a New Jersey comic book writer who falls in love with Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams in a career-defining performance), a pansexual woman who primarily identifies with the lesbian community. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024 Last summer Brady came out as pansexual, defined as an attraction to people of any gender or regardless of gender. EW.com, 25 July 2024 It was designed to bring awareness to the pansexual community and further distinguish it from bisexuality. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 17 June 2024 While Benedict Bridgerton’s sexuality isn’t stated in the books, showrunner Jess Brownell and actor Luke Thompson have confirmed that Benedict is pansexual. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for pansexual 

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of pansexual was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near pansexual

Cite this Entry

“Pansexual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pansexual. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!