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nonsexual

nonsexual

3 4.8
Not involving sex or sexual activity
  • adjective
  • /nɒnˈsɛkʃuəl/
translation icon : no sexual
  • But now they tried to fall in love with the nonsexual parts of the world, the details that they had never noticed before.
  • nonsexual behavior
  • nonsexual relationships
  • nonsexual aggression

Examples

  • Explicit data on the numbers of such nonsexual encounters were not obtained.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Specifically, affectionate behavior would be most expected and evaluated most positively when it is clearly nonsexual.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Only one interaction was obviously sexual, thereby making the Christmas parade a very nonsexual event.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Whether they engaged in premarital sexual activities or not, almost all women publicly claimed that their relationships were nonsexual.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The potential partners engage in ritual eating, drinking, dancing, presentation of gifts, and participation in mutually enjoyable nonsexual activities.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Responses related to enjoyable nonsexual interaction and promotion of relationship intimacy were collapsed to represent positive social outcomes.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Instead, it's the totally nonsexual, non-romantic relationship between Caroline and Stefan Salvatore.

    Blog text (12)
  • When women are socially defined primarily in terms of their reproductive function, even nonsexual behaviors can affect their moral reputations.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Nonsexual behaviors examined were smoking cigarettes, getting drunk, smoking marijuana, stealing property, and vandalizing property.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Many people find great joy in forming close, nonsexual friendships that are deeply fulfilling.

Synonyms

asexual
vsnonsexual
  • Specialized
3 6.4

Not involving sexual activity, for example when plants or fungi reproduce without sex

is the general term covering anything not involving or relating to sex
unerotic
vsnonsexual
1 6.6

Not causing sexual feelings

is about lack of relation to sexual activity rather than only lack of excitement
nonerotic
vsnonsexual
6.3

Does not relate to or cause sexual interest

is broader, excluding any relation to sexual activity or sex

Antonyms

sexual
  • NSFW
3.5

Relating to physical attraction, desire, or intimate acts between people

erotic
  • NSFW
113 6.5

Causing sexual desire or showing sexual interest

How Sexual

pornographic
  • Offensive
49 7.2
erotic
  • NSFW
113 6.5
sexual
  • NSFW
3.5
nonsexual
3 4.8
asexual
4 5.7

Surface Forms

nonsexual positive

Morphology

nonsexual = sexual (transparent) = non + sexual

Formed by the productive negation prefix 'non-' plus the adjective 'sexual'; the negated meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

The word nonsexual is made of the prefix non- meaning 'not' and sexual from sex, meaning 'relating to sex', so it means 'not involving sex'. Think of non- in nonstop or nonsense: it simply means 'not', so a nonsexual touch or friendship has no sexual purpose.