demisexualadj.n.
/ˌdɛmɪˈsɛkʃʊəl/, U.S. /ˌdɛmiˈsɛkʃ(əw)əl/ A. adj.
1. Perhaps: involving ambiguous or amorphous sexual characteristics or activity.Apparently an isolated use, with reference to a psychedelic cartoon by Victor Moscoso.
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1969 Daily Californian 18 Feb. 14/3 A man who isn't sure whether he's a man..[is] visited by the ubiquitous Mickey Jr., who then joins with him-her in a demi-sexual fashion.
2. Designating a person who only develops sexual feelings and attraction within the context of a close emotional relationship, and does not experience such feelings on the basis of first impressions, physical characteristics, etc.As people who are demisexual only develop sexual feelings and attraction within certain contexts and relationships, demisexuality is often regarded (along with other identities characterized by lack of or limited sexual attraction) as a form of, or existing on a spectrum with, asexuality; cf. asexual adj. 2a.
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2007 www.asexuality.org 24 June (forum post, Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 1 May 2015) I'm what I refer to as ‘demisexual’. I do experience sexual attraction, but extremely rarely and only when there's a deep emotional bond already.
2016 Univ. Wire (Nebraska) (Nexis) 16 Feb. Being a demisexual heteroromantic man myself, I am not particularly interested in pursuing a romantic relationship.
2021 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 1 May Ms. Teah, who is demisexual, plans to marry Ms. Roberts, who has been her best friend since the sixth grade.
B. n.
A person who only develops sexual feelings and attraction within the context of a close emotional relationship, and does not experience such feelings on the basis of first impressions, physical characteristics, etc.; a demisexual person.See note at sense A. 2.
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2006 www.asexuality.org 8 Feb. (forum post, Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 5 Apr. 2015) I'd have secondary sexual attraction, but hardly any primary. If ‘sexual’ is for both and ‘asexual’ is for neither, maybe we need a new term for people who only have one but not the other? I propose ‘demisexuals’.
2019 D. Copulsky in B. L. Simula et al. Expanding Rainbow (e-book, accessed 20 Sept. 2021) xv. 199 The broader asexual (or ‘ace’) community includes a range of desires and degrees of sexual attraction, such as gray-asexuals and demisexuals.
Derivatives
ˌdemiˌsexuˈality n. the state or characteristic of only developing sexual feelings and attraction within the context of a close emotional relationship, and not on the basis of first impressions, physical characteristics, etc.See note at sense A. 2.
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2008 www.asexuality.org 25 Nov. (forum post, accessed 10 Nov. 2021) I am wondering..whether demisexuality is an entirely independent and distinct sexual orientation, or is more along the lines of a sub-group within the larger group of people who are asexual?
2016 Cosmopolitan Jan. 75/1 If you don't ever get the hots for a cute stranger..it could be that you lean toward demisexuality.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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adj.n.1969