Gender & Sexuality dictionary

autosexual

[aw-toh-sek-shoo-uhl]

ºÚÁÏÍø does autosexual mean?

 

Content warning: The following article contains explicit references to sexual language, which are included because they document the real-world use of this term.

Autosexual is a term for sexual attraction to oneself, especially a preference for masturbation over sexual intercourse. Experiencing romantic feelings towards oneself is called autoromantic.

Related words

gynesexual, quoisexual, omnisexual, demisexual, aromantic, grey-a, polysexual, pansexual, androsexual

Where does autosexual come from?

The word autosexual (along with a parallel term, autoeroticism) was found by the early 1900s as a term for sexual self-stimulation, specifically masturbation. Auto-, a prefix seen in many other English words such as autograph or automobile, comes from a Greek root meaning “self.”

In 2016–17, some popular publications notably began discussing the topic of ²¹³Ü³Ù´Ç²õ±ð³æ³Ü²¹±ô¾±³Ù²âÌýin terms of experiencing greater arousal from images of or stimulation by oneself than they do from others, including mental fantasies and in front of mirrors. This sense of autosexual is found online in the late 1990s.

In April 2017, writer Ghia Vitale published a piece on Medium describing her sexual and romantic orientation as autosexual and autoromantic, experiencing a relationship with herself and preferring it over any others.

Examples of autosexual

wish my paper was autosexual so it would do itself
@SASSYWHITEWoMAN, November 2013
Of course, masturbation is inherently autoerotic (there's just you, after all), but unless you're fantasizing about having sex with yourself, you're not considered a full-blown autosexual by most experts.
Sophie Saint Thomas, Refinery29, February 2017

Who uses autosexual?

In clinical contexts, autosexual generally refers to sexual self-stimulation, especially when one doesn’t experience the same degree or intensity of arousal from others. Some people identify their sexual orientation as autosexual while others more playfully use the term to note when they are feeling sexy or feeling jaded by relationships.

It can similarly be used for playful self-compliments or self-empowerment.

Some online references to autosexual are critical of it as a sexual identity, interpreting it as a form of narcissism.

And oh, there’s a word for sexual fetishes involving mirrors: katoptronophilia, with katoptron meaning “mirror” in Ancient Greek.

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of autosexual like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of autosexual that will help our users expand their word mastery.