heteronormative

adjective

het·​ero·​nor·​ma·​tive ˌhē-tə-rō-ˈnȯr-mə-tiv 

: of, relating to, or based on the attitude that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality

heteronormativity

ˌhē-tə-rō-ˌnȯr-mə-ˈti-və-tē 

noun

Examples of heteronormative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Society is still too heteronormative, and someone like DeJ, whose fashion sense coalesces femininity with subtle machismo, confounds people who still conflate gender identity with sexuality. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024

The same heteronormative forces that can lead us to suppress our queerness can also complicate making inroads with other women. —Katie Simon, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

Being la tía loca means a lack of true connection in public spaces with women who perform a heteronormative femininity. —Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, refinery29.com, 9 Sep. 2024

But for other Mormons, like Brinkerhoff, this intense insularity, and pressure to conform to a largely patriarchal, heteronormative culture can be unbearable. —Cassady Rosenblum, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

hetero- + normative

Note: The word was popularized, if not introduced, by the American critic and scholar Michael Warner (born 1958) in "Introduction: Fear of a Queer Planet," Social Text, no. 29 (1991), pp. 3-15.

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above