According to the traditional perspective, one of two possible self-images an individual may have of himself (normally correlating to one's own sex); and according to more liberal views, one of a multitude of sexual preferences one may adopt during his life time, preferences that are not the outcome of one's biological constraints but rather of one's preference with respect to how to obtain sexual excitation and gratification (e. g.: fetishism, homosexuality, pedophilia, sodomy, coprophilia, pederasty, sadomasochism, transsexualism, etc.); syn. GENDER

This definition is in context to Sex. See more contextual defintions for Sexual Orientation.