unisexuality
|u-ni-sex-u-al-i-ty|
/ˌjuːnɪsɛkˈsjuːəlɪti/
state of being single-sex
Etymology
'unisexuality' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'uni-' from Latin 'unus' meaning 'one', and the root 'sexuality' from Latin 'sexus' meaning 'sex'.
'unisexuality' was formed in Modern English from 'unisexual' + the nominalizing suffix '-ity'. 'Unisexual' itself comes from Latin-derived components ('uni-' + 'sexualis') used in scientific/medical Latin and then adopted into English.
Initially it meant 'the state of being a single sex' and over time has retained that core meaning, being applied specifically in biological and botanical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition or quality of having only one sex; being single-sex (opposed to bisexuality or hermaphroditism). Often used in biology to describe organisms or populations with separate male and female individuals.
Unisexuality is common among many animal species where individuals are distinctly male or female.
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Noun 2
in botany, the condition of having unisexual flowers or reproductive structures (i.e., flowers that are either male or female but not both).
In many plant species, unisexuality means that individual flowers are either staminate or pistillate rather than bisexual.
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Last updated: 2025/08/19 17:29