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

Despite the growing representation of gay, male footballers, Clauss said challenges still lie with the heteronormative climate of the men’s game. —Max Mathews, New York Times, 16 May 2025

He’s only managed to maintain his heteronormative bonafides by lying through his shiny white teeth. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025

Still, for all the support HBCUs provide, there are often limits on affirming expression and identity that might be considered subversive, or fall outside of a heteronormative framework. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025

Though their love affair clearly exists outside traditional heteronormative boundaries, the narrative leaves open the possibility that one or both of the men could be bisexual. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for heteronormative

• formative
• normative
• informative
• performative
• uninformative