different between gayness vs homosexuality

English

Etymology

From Middle English gaynesse, equivalent to gay +? -ness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??e?.n?s/

  Rhymes: -e?n?s

Noun

gayness (usually uncountable, plural gaynesses)

1. (rare, dated, uncountable) The state of being gay (colorful or festive); display or dressiness.
2. (rare, dated, countable) The state of being gay (cheerful); gaiety.
3. (uncountable) The state of being gay (homosexual); homosexuality.

   Synonyms: homosexuality, queerness

   Hyponym: lesbianism

   • 2015, E. Reltso, Our Sex Saturated Society

     Their goal was to compel open legal recognition of their beliefs about sex and gayness as being the law in the United States.

Translations

See also

• gaiety: The state of being gay (in the sense of "happy").

Anagrams

• ganseys

English

Etymology

From homosexual +? -ity or homo- +? sexuality

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æl?ti

Noun

homosexuality (usually uncountable, plural homosexualities)

1. The state of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to persons of the same sex.
2. Sexual activity with a person of the same sex.

Usage notes

Homosexuality in women is also known as lesbianism. As homosexuality applies to people of either sex, the expression homosexuality and lesbianism is redundant and is best replaced by homosexuality or lesbianism alone as appropriate. Different cultural constructions of same-sex love are collectively referred to as homosexualities.

Synonyms

• gayness
• homosexualism
• lesbianism (applied only to women)
• uranism (obsolete)
• urningism (obsolete)

Antonyms

• heterosexuality
• straightness (slang)

Hypernyms

• queerness

Coordinate terms

• (sexual orientations) sexual orientation; asexual (-ity, ace), bisexual (-ity, bi), demisexual (-ity, demi), graysexual (-ity), heterosexual (-ity, straight), homosexual (-ity, gay, lesbian), omnisexual (-ity), pansexual (-ity, pan), plurisexual (-ity), polysexual (-ity), robosexual (-ity), sapiosexual (-ity), androsexual (-ity), gynesexual (-ity) ^{(Category: en:Sexual orientations)}

Related terms

• homosexual
• homoromanticism
• homoflexibility

Translations

See also

• LGBT, GLBT
• gay
• lesbian