The primary meaning of gay in contemporary English is ‘homosexual’. As an adjective or a noun, it is the standard term used by homosexuals to describe themselves and as such has become part of the standard vocabulary of world English. This development has only occurred since the 1960s. Before the 1960sn, in standard usage, gay was an adjective meaning ‘cheerful’ or ‘bright’. These senses are still sometimes used, but care should be taken when using the word with these meanings to avoid misunderstanding