# sexual

> English word · Adjective · IPA /sɛk.ʃuː.əl/ · frequency rank #1,617

## Definitions
1. Arising from the fact of being male or female; pertaining to sex or gender, or to the social relations between the sexes.
2. Capable of sexual reproduction; sexed, sexuate.
3. Pertaining to sexual intercourse or other intimate physical contact.
4. Characterised by sexual feelings or behaviour; possessing sexuality.
5. Pertaining to sexuality as a cultural phenomenon; relating to sexual behaviour or conduct.
6. Experiencing sexual attraction; not asexual.
7. Pertaining to the female sex.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sek-der.
Proto-Indo-European *séksusder.
Proto-Italic *seksus
Latin sexus
Proto-Italic *-ālis
Latin -ālis
Latin sexuālisbor.
English sexual
From Latin sexuālis, from sexus (“sex”), equivalent to sex + -ual.

## Easily confused with
- **sexually** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sexual-vs-sexually)
- **seal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seal-vs-sexual)
- **Seoul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seoul-vs-sexual)
- **Segal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/segal-vs-sexual)
- **serial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-sexual)
- **sequel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sequel-vs-sexual)
- **sensual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sensual-vs-sexual)

## Common misspellings (8)
`esxual`, `seuxal`, `sexaul`, `sexuall`, `sexula`, `sexxual`, `ssexual`, `sxeual`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sexual