sexuell

Sexuell is an adjective meaning “relating to sex or sexuality” used in several Germanic languages to describe things connected with sexual activity, reproduction, identity, or health. In academic, medical, and social contexts it appears in phrases such as sexuell hälsa (sexual health), sexuell fortplantning (sexual reproduction), and sexuell läggning (sexual orientation). It can refer to biological aspects as well as social and psychological dimensions of sexuality.

Etymology: The term traces to Latin sexus meaning sex, with Germanic languages adopting various spellings such as sexuell (German and some Scandinavian usage), seksuel (Danish), seksueel (Dutch), and sexuell/sexuel in related forms. The suffix generally conveys the sense of “relating to” or “characteristic of.”

Usage and scope: In German, common compounds include sexuelle Orientierung (sexual orientation), sexuelle Gesundheit (sexual health), and sexuelle Aktivität (sexual activity). In Dutch, seksualiteit and seksueel health terms appear in contexts like seksuele gezondheid and seksuele oriëntatie. In Swedish, Swedish-speaking audiences use sexuell läggning and sexuell hälsa; Norwegian and Danish have closely related forms such as seksuell or seksuel. Across these languages, the term is typically neutral and appears in science, education, health, policy, and cultural discussions about sexuality.

See also: sexuality, sexual health, sexual orientation, sex education, sexology.