Sexuelle

Sexuelle is an adjective form used in several European languages to indicate relation to sex or sexuality. It functions as a modifier and does not stand alone as a noun in standard usage. The form and its meanings differ by language, but the core sense remains linked to sex, gender, or sexuality.

In French, sexuelle is the feminine singular form of the adjective sexuel (sexual). It modifies feminine nouns and agrees in gender and number with the noun, as in vie sexuelle (sexual life) or santé sexuelle (sexual health). Phrases such as identité et orientation sexuelle are common, with sexuelle agreeing with the feminine noun they accompany.

In German, the base adjective is sexuell. The form sexuelle appears in attributive and predicative positions before feminine nouns, or in plural feminine forms, such as die sexuelle Orientierung (the sexual orientation) or sexuelle Gesundheit (sexual health). German uses the ending to indicate gender and number, with variations like sexuelle Beziehungen (sexual relationships) and sexuell as a separate adverbial form.

Etymology traces the term to the Latin sexus (sex) with the suffix -alis, yielding adjectives that denote an attribute related to sex or sexuality. Through French and German, the word disseminated into common usage in discussions of biology, psychology, public health, and social sciences, as well as in everyday language when describing topics related to intimate life, identity, or conduct.

See also: sexual, sexualité, Sexualität, sexual health, sexual orientation.