About

Because I have nothing better to do with my life, I created this helpful glossary for ace terminology and labels!I broke everything down into categories you can click on in the "table of contents." Hopefully that helps organize things a bit. And all of the labels have an aro version too. Simply replace “sexual” with “romantic” or “ace” with “aro” for those.There's no pressure on picking a label. Labels also don't have to fit 100%. It's valid to go by multiple labels, and it's valid to not want to use labels. This is just another resource for the questioning and the curious.If you're going to copy/paste or screenshot anything on here to post in public spaces, please add a link to this site with it.(My #1 source for the labels.)(Visit my Tumblr for more ace content!)

Basic Terms

Ace- Short for asexual/acespec.Ace Discourse- Acespec identities being subjected to aphobia in the form of "debates." The first wave of this was in the early 2010's, when people argued over whether or not aces existed. This turned to a second wave in the mid-2010's, where the argument was whether or not aces were inherently LGBT+. You'll still see these "debates" today, but they come from a vocal minority. Most ace spaces accept the gray area, and many LGBT+ spaces accept aces.Ace Erasure- Ignoring or erasing asexuality. Can include the ace identity of individuals or the fact aces exist in general.Aphobia- Hatred towards aces and aros. Can range anywhere from simply invalidating their existence to harrassment- and more. Arophobia is specifically towards aros and acephobia is specifically towards aces.Amatonormativity- The assumption that romantic relationships are the ultimate goal in life. The belief that no one is happy single. Everyone wants to get married and have babies and live happily-ever-after like a Disney movie. This effects everyone, believe it or not.Attraction- How you feel about a person. Most of the popular forms are traditionally defined as an “urge to do x with the person.” For me personally, I feel it as a magnetic pull towards the person. A magnetic pull to stare (aesthetic). A magnetic pull to cuddle (sensual). Etc. Attractions not sexual or romantic fall under a category called “tertiary attraction” or "eriattraction."Attraction Types:Aesthetic- Their beauty captures your attention the way a sunset view would. If it's a strong case, you'll want to stare at the person forever.Alterous- Not platonic or romantic in nature. It's something separate from the two, but it's own thing. If you think of platonic and romantic as a binary, alterous attraction is more of a nonbinary.Cedural- Wanting to be supported or protected by that person. It's the thought of that person protecting you that gets you going. Opposite of tutelary attraction.Diauamoric- A feeling of devotion to the person. Almost like, worship levels. They think highly of the person and put them on a pedestal.Domestic- You want to perform domestic activities with the person like cleaning, living together, and/or raising children.Emotional- Desire to form an emotional bond with a person.Familial- Desire for a strong, family-like attachment. “Found family” can be considered this.Flectic- Attraction that changes when the dynamic of the relationship changes.Idyllic- Wanting to be attracted to a specific gender but aren't.Impersonal- A desire to be acquaintances with someone, but not friends. Nothing deep.Mental- Wanting to form an intellectual bond with the person.Nebulous- When you can't or don't separate the different types of attraction.Platonic- You want to be a person’s best buddy. A platonic crush is called a squish.Presential- A desire to know someone through their presence. You want to be around them all the time, not necessarily doing anything but observing them.Romantic- Feeling an urge to do romantic things with a person. You want to date them. Romantic media may trigger thoughts of you with them.Sensual- You want to hug and cuddle and kiss.Sexual- You feel urges to do sexual activities with them. You feel hot around them, and your libido may go off when you see them. (Though it's not necessarily sexual attraction if your libido goes off in a sexual situation.) The urges can feel like a need at times.Social- Wanting to socialize with that person.Tutelary- Desire to take care of that person. A feeling of wanting to be needed by that person. Opposite of cedural.Cishet- Someone who is cis (gender matches their assigned gender at birth), heteroromantic, and heterosexual. However, exclusionists often use this term to refer to heteroromantic asexuals and aromantic heterosexuals. It got to the point where many aspecs have become wary of anyone using "cishet." So allocishet was coined to make things clear. If you've been using cishet to refer to cis heteromantic heterosexuals, consider switching to allocishet instead.Exclusionist- Someone who gatekeeps the LGBT+ community. Whether it be pansexuals, enbies, aces, and/or aros. This can also extend to communities within LGBT+ identities, like trans people aren't trans if they don't have dysphoria, and ace people aren't ace if they want to have sex. Basically, they have a "you must fit this exact criteria or else you're not X" mindset.Gatekeeper- Someone who thinks they can go around patrolling a community and excluding members for not being _________ enough.GSRM- Stands for Gender Sexual and Romantic Minorities. Was introduced as a more-inclusive alternative to LGBT+, but never caught on. I think it was because the coiner of the term did something problematic, but that could've just been a rumor pulled out of the ass of an exclusionist. I don't know what to believe anymore, tbh.Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)- A disorder in the DSM (a manual psychologists use to diagnose mental illnesses). It's basically a person who has no sex drive, no sexual desire, no sexual fantasies, etc. Some asexuals get mistakenly diagnosed with this. A note was finally added in 2013 that if the person identifies as asexual, then they are not this. However, many aces go their whole lives not knowing they're ace, so....Inclusionist- Someone who includes all LGBT+ identities. Agrees that pansexuals, enbies, aces, aros, etc are all LGBT+.Internalized Aphobia- When an aspec internalizes the shit aphobes say and apply it to themselves. (Example: May hear "asexuals are fake" often enough and come to believe it.) Aspecs with this problem may also convince themselves aces/aros don't experience oppression or have any problems. Internalized aphobia also includes aspecs who hate being aspec, who resent being it, etc. Some may also be convinced they'll never "find someone" who'll truly accept that part of themselves. That their orientation is a curse. Stuff like that.
Of course, some aspecs are aware of their internalized aphobia, and work tirelessly to challenge the thoughts.Libido- Also known as a sex drive. That funny feeling you get between your legs. Typically goes off when viewing sexual content or thinking sexual thoughts. Sometimes seeing a specific person outside of a sexual context can trigger it, which may be a sign of sexual attraction. But you don't have to experience sexual attraction to feel this. Overall, your body just wants sex. It doesn't care who its with. Someone who does not experience this is a non-libidoist. Someone who is usually a non-libidoist but gets rare intense spikes of it is libidospike.Microlabels- A label that breaks down a bigger label. Ex: A cupiosexual is an asexual who wants a sexual relationship. Cupiosexual is a microlabel under asexual. Think of asexuality as a tree and ace-related microlabels as branches.MOGAI- Marginalized Orientations Gender Alignment and Intersex. Coined to be a more inclusive alternative to LGBT+. Basically serves the same purpose as GSRM.Queerplatonic Relationship- A relationship that goes beyond friendship but is not romantic. They're emotionally closer than a typical friendship. They may be more physical, as in there's cuddling, kissing, and maybe even sex involved. But there's also a level of commitment. They may live together. Buy a house together. Stuff that looks like things a traditional "couple" would do, but they don't place a romantic label on their relationship.SAM- Stands for split attraction model. It’s a separation of experiencing different types of attraction. Basically, it’s how an asexual can experience romantic attraction and vice versa. Examples of this in action include heteromantic asexuals and aromantic bisexuals. Some aces and aros don’t use this at all for various reasons. They would identify as non-SAM ace or non-SAM aro.Sex ambivalent- Someone who's feelings on having sex fluctuate through repulsed, averse, indifferent and/or favorable.Sex averse- Someone who is not down to fuck.Sex favorable- Someone who is down to fuck.Sex fantasma- Someone who is averse to sex in real life, but fine with it in media.Sex indifferent- Someone who will have sex if a person wants to have sex with them. But if not, that's cool too.Sex negative- Someone who believes sex itself is a disgusting, sinful, shameful thing. They're firm on the "no sex before marriage" and "sex is for procreation only" beliefs. Sex is something that should be kept behind closed doors.Sex positive- Someone who is cool with people having sex with whoever and whenever. Viewing sex as something that shouldn't be taboo, and should a thing that's okay to talk about. People should be able to have shameless, consensual sex with no judgement. Overall, they're tossing out the old timey beliefs about sex.Sex repulsed- Someone who finds sex disgusting and want nothing at all to do with it whatsoever. This differs from sex negativity in that it's an inner feeling the person has little-to-no control over. Sex-repulsed people can still be sex positive. It's like how someone afraid/disgusted by bugs may still admit they are necessary for the environment.

Basic Identities

Acemid- Strictly asexual but not strictly aromantic yet is still on the aro spectrum. (Example: Frayromantic asexual.)Acespec- Someone who falls under the asexual spectrum. A catchall term for asexuals and those in the gray area of asexuality.Allocishet- Someone who is cis (gender matches their assigned gender at birth), heteroromantic, and heterosexual. It was coined because exclusionists kept using cishet to refer to heteromantic aces and aro heterosexuals. Many aspecs have become suspicious of anyone using cishet instead of allocishet because of that.Allosexual- Someone not asexual or on its spectrum. Typically experiences sexual attraction in a way that confuses most acespecs, but we love them anyway.Amid- Not strictly asexual and aromantic, but on the ace and aro spectrum. (Example: Demiromantic Graysexual.)Angled aroace- Someone both acespec and arospec, but not strictly asexual/aromantic. (Example: Grayromantic lithosexual.)Aplatonic- Someone who does not experience platonic attraction.Aroace- Someone who is aromantic and asexual.Aromantic- Someone who does not experience romantic attraction.Aromid- Strictly aromantic but not strictly asexual yet is still on the ace spectrum. (Example: Aromantic demisexual.)Asexual- Someone who does not experience sexual attraction.Black Stripe Asexual- An asexual who does not experience sexual attraction in any way, shape, or form. Can still be sex-favorable and have a libido though. Labels under this include nemosexual, ansexual, praetersexual, suptiliasexual, among others. Named after the black stripe on the ace flag that represents asexuals. You can think of it as an opposite to Mesi Asexual.Electio aroace- An aroace that does not experience tertiary attraction.Gray asexual or graysexual- Interchangeable terms for rarely experiencing sexual attraction or feeling sexual attraction weakly. Highly susceptible to bouts of imposter syndrome. People who can never figure out if they feel sexual attraction or not tend to go by this. Grayrose is when the person is both grayromantic and graysexual.Mesi Asexual- Someone who is on the asexual spectrum, but not strictly asexual. (Example: Fraysexual, Demisexual, Lithosexual, etc.) You can think of it as an opposite to Black Stripe Asexual.Oriented aroace- Aromantic and asexual but feels a tertiary attraction that is important to them.Perioriented- Someone who's romantic and sexual orientation match up. (Example: Biromantic bisexual.)Varioriented- Someone who's romantic and sexual orientation are different. (Example: Heteroromantic Asexual.)

Identities Regarding Sex Itself

Aceactivate- Someone who is asexual and has no libido, until a specific set of requirements are met. Then, they might feel sexual desire for masturbating only. They go back to being non-liboist after they are done.Acorsexual- Experiences sexual attraction and wants to act on it, but is averse due to negative experiences. Typically used by trauma survivors and neurodivergent people, but it's not exclusive to them.Adexsexual- Someone who experiences sexual desire through imagining themselves in sexual situations. In their imagination, they don't visualize anyone specific, and may actually lose their desire if they do. But they fantasize about themselves experiencing sexual stuff.Aegosexual- Does not experience sexual attraction but likes to fantasize about sex in general. There’s a disconnect between them and the sexualized object. Typically have no desire to be a participant in sexual activities. May consume porn and smut. This used to be known as autochorissexual but changed because autochorissexual was originally classified as a paraphilia (sexual fantasies/behavior society deems abnormal). People who partly relate to this but not fully can go by gray-aegosexual. Then there's alloaegic- someone who experiences allo-type attraction towards one gender, and aego-type attraction towards another.Agensexual- Asexuals repulsed by genitals.Ametoric- Someone who does not want to have sex but plans to in the far future.Ance-jump- Someone who is allosexual and has the rare experience of feeling intense sex repulsion or being ansexual.Anroance- Someone who hates both sex and romance. Possibly even repulsed.Ansexual- Disinterest to hatred towards everything regarding sex whether it be experiencing attraction, having sex, hearing people talking about sex, etc. Does not necessarily mean the person is sex negative. They just want no part of anything regarding it. Falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Antimilo - People who don't want to experience orgasms. They might be repulsed by them, find them uncomfortable, or some other reason. Not exclusive to aces.Apathsexual- Someone who lacks interest in acting on their attraction.ARCsexual- People who feel Averse, Repulsed, or Conflicted towards sex regardless of whether they’re ace or allo.ARCsexual subtypes:Acarnal- Someone who is sex-indifferent and/or sex neutral.Anticarnal- Repulsed by the concept of having sex and by other people having sex.Apothisexual- Sex repulsed asexual.Carnaljump- allos who experience rare, intense feelings of being anticarnal.Carnalfluid- Fluctuating between ARCsexual identities.Discarnal- Sex averse/repulsed at the thought of having sex, but cool with sexual activity that doesn’t involve them.Eriscarnal- Conflicting feelings towards sex.Procarnal- Feels sex favorable when normally ARC.Aremsexual- Has a sex drive but rarely experiences sexual attraction.Askepsisexual- People who rarely think about sex to the point where they don't even feel sexual attraction.Autoresexual- Someone who may have experienced sexual attraction during sexual fantasies/masturbation, but the attraction changes when someone else enters the picture.Axiosexual- Someone who only experiences interest/desire in sex if they feel some sort of attraction (sexual, romantic, etc.) to the individual. Other than that, they're disinterested. Allosexuals can use this term too.Bellussexual- Has an interest in sex but does not feel sexual attraction and doesn’t actually want sex. Opposite of inactsexual.Causasexual- Experiences sexual attraction at first, but loses that attraction once they start thinking about why sex wouldn't be enjoyable.Ceptusexual- Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction, but feels strong sexual desire.Chameleosexual- Someone whose preference for receiving/doing sexual acts with someone depends on the gender. (Example: Only desiring to perform sexual acts on men, but only receiving with women.Contrasexual- A sex-ambivalent asexual.Cupiosexual- Does not experience sexual attraction but wants a sexual relationship. Cupioquoisexual is where the person doesn't know if they experience sexual attraction, but wants a sexual relationship anyway. Deligosexual is a subset where the person chooses what genders they want to have sex with which may or may not be influenced by other forms of attraction.Dentroace- Acespec who is only aroused and/or interested in penetration. Other sexual acts disinterest or repulse them. Opposite of fuoriace.Esthesiosexual- Desires a relationship with no intercourse. Just outercourse/sensual stuff.Fluousexual- Sexual acts/relationships feel overwhelming and excessive. Regardless of if you're sexually attracted, the interactions are just too much.Fuoriace- Alright with most sexual acts, but disinterested/disgusted by penetration. Opposite of dentroace.Futuraesexual- Interested in feeling sexual attraction and/or sexual relationship but has never felt sexual attraction so they don't know how they feel about sex.Iamvanosexual- Enjoys sex acts performed on them but has no interest in doing sex acts on another person. It’s not just a preference. It may make them uncomfortable. They may be repulsed by it. Opposite of placiosexual.Iculasexual- A sex-indifferent asexual.Imagesexual- Someone sexually attracted to all genders, but want nothing to do with sex outside of fantasies.Inactsexual- Is sex repulsed but wants a sexual relationship anyway. May also experience sexual attraction. Opposite of bellussexual.Inferiace- Alright with sexual interaction as long as their genitals are not involved.Inhosexual- Sex repulsed by everything sex, not just regarding themselves, but repulsed by it in the media, when others are talking about it, etc.Lotussexual- Still has sexual desire/fantasies due to libido, societal pressure, or other reasons. However, they do not feel sexual attraction when doing sexual activities.Merosexual- Okay with some sexual acts but repulsed by others.Miransexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction visually but does not experience the desire that comes along with it. They may have sexual feelings/fantasies towards the person, but there's no inherent urge to act upon it. Can fall under Black Stripe Asexual.Nopotasexual- Someone with allosexual qualities who does not have the capabilities to do sexual activities, despite wanting to. They may lack being able to experience pleasure from it, or get pain from it, or something else.Obsecrosexual- Someone who switches between iamvanosexual and placiosexual. They are never both at the same time.Omdace- Experiences no sexual attraction, arousal, or desire, but masturbates anyway.Omniasexual- Asexual with no interest in sex whatsoever. Falls under Black Stripe asexual.Orchidsexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction but does not feel a desire to act on that attraction.Orgasace- Someone who is unable to orgasm because they lose attraction before they're able to. Orgasflux is when this fluctuates. Orgasexceptis is when the person has exceptions to the rule.Parasexual- Does not experience sexual attraction but enjoys recreational sex.Peculiace- Only sexually aroused by kinks and fetishes.Pauciace- Being okay with only certain sex traits touched, but not others. More specific terms would be bottoace- when you’re disgusted by your butt being touched, geniace- disgust towards genitals being touched, and sumitace- disgusted by breasts/chest being touched. Lekanisexual is attraction to the lower part of the body but disgust towards the upper. Pectussexual is the opposite.Placiosexual- Enjoys performing sexual acts on a person but does not want sexual acts reciprocated. It’s not just a “preference.” It may make them uncomfortable. It may repulse them. Opposite of iamvanosexual.Repulsusexual- An acespec repulsed by the thought of someone being sexually attracted to them.Rheasexual- Experience sexual attraction, but are uncomfortable/repulsed by sex. They may want their attraction reciprocated though. Might be okay with sexual activities with that person, but other than that, sex-averse/repulsed.Rosesexual- Someone who wants to experience sexual attraction but soon feels sex repulsed. Dualrose is if the person is both rosesexual and roseromantic.Selasexual- An allosexual who is uncomfortable performing sex acts on themselves.Unutrasexual- someone who is sex repulsed/averse unless it's in their head.

Sexual Attraction Under Specific Conditions

Aesthetisexual- Can't develop sexual attraction towards someone unless aesthetic attraction is felt first.Aliquasexual- Only experiences sexual attraction under certain conditions. Example: Demisexual, fraysexual, etc.Amorasexual- Only feels sexual attraction when in a sexual relationship/context. They might know that they'll enjoy having sex with the person. But the actual attraction doesn't happen until they're in a sexual relationship with them.Ansequencesexual- Only sexually attracted to someone when no romantic attraction is felt. Upon feeling romantic attraction, the sexual attraction disappears.Apressexual- Does not experience sexual attraction until another attraction is felt. Example: Feels sexual attraction after a period of experiencing romantic attraction. Or after feeling aesthetic. Or after feeling romantic and aesthetic. Mix and match as much as your heart desires. Aprespleasure is when you only feel pleasure having that attraction after you feel another type of attraction. Sequencesexual is when it's specifically romantic attraction you feel before sexual attraction.Arretasexual- Only experiences sexual attraction towards people who give them attention. Attraction may intensify or fade depending on the amount of attention they receive from that person.Bliskosexual- Only experiences sexual attraction to someone physically near. Similar to an “out of sight out of mind” type of situation. Opposite of dalekosexual.Cogitarisexual- Only experiences sexual attraction in their heads. They do not feel the actual attraction in real life nor do they have any desire to act upon it.Dalekosexual- Experiences sexual attraction when far away from the person, then loses interest when they are nearby. Opposite of bliskosexual.Coeosexual- Experiences sexual attraction upon meeting someone but it goes away. Similar to fraysexual.Demisexual- Does not experience sexual attraction until a bond is formed. This has nothing to do with “waiting to have sex” or celibacy. They are completely asexual until they bond with someone in some way or another and suddenly one day they go HOT DAMN I want that person in my bed! Opposite of fraysexual.Demi subtypes:Amantesexual- Only experiences sexual attraction to people they’re in love with.Amicussexual- Only towards friends.Communicosexual- Only to people they have conversations with.Dellosexual- Experience allo-type attraction towards some genders and demi-type attraction towards other genders.Demian- Someone who is demiromantic and demisexual.Demigraysexual- Someone who is both demisexual and gray asexual. As in, they're demisexual but it's rare for them to feel sexual attraction.Demisexualspike- Normally demi but with the rare case where they experience attraction a different way.Encephalosexual- Only experiences sexual attraction after an intellectual bond is formed.Noetisexual- Only experiences sexual attraction towards people they’re mentally connected to.Quartsexual- Experiences sexual attraction after a small bond. Basically a less intense version of demisexual.Densexual- Sexual attraction towards someone they rarely/never interact with. The attraction dies when they interact. May come back again when they stop seeing each other. Opposite of koinikosexual.Diurnal-ace- Experiences sexual attraction at night but not during the day. Opposite of nocturnal-ace.Dreamsexual- Only experiences sexual attraction in dreams.Envigorsexual- Experiences sexual attraction upon interacting with a person, but it lessens/goes away when they’re not interacting with the person.Feasexual- Experiences sexual attraction but it goes away when feelings are acted upon, maybe even to the point of disgust.Frallosexual- Is allosexual towards some genders, but fraysexual towards other genders.Fraysexual- Only experiences sexual attraction to people they don’t know. Once they’ve gotten to know the person, they get to kiss that sexual attraction goodbye! Opposite of demisexual.Heasexual- Sexual attraction depends on the weather. Feusexual is for when it’s summer or warm outside. Glarosexual is when it’s winter/cold.Igcecidimus- A weird combination of being demi and fray. There’s an immediate attraction which fades upon knowing the person, but it returns when getting to know the person even more.Koinikosexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction towards people they interact with frequently. The attraction goes away if they stop seeing each other. However, it may return if they start seeing the person again. Opposite of densexual.Lithosexual- Feels sexual attraction, but it goes away once the other person shows interest back. Similar to fraysexual, but this is less about knowing the person and more about the person returning their feelings.Llumsexual- Experiences sexual attraction but does not want it reciprocated. Upon bonding with the person, the sexual attraction goes away.Nocturnal-ace- Experiences sexual attraction during the day but not at night. Opposite of diurnal-ace.Observosexual- Only feels sexual attraction when shown sexual content.Pristrosexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction, but must confess their feelings to the person they're attracted to before the person they're attracted to has a chance to reciprocate. If this fails, they lose that attraction.Prospasexual- In order to feel sexual attraction, one must convince themselves they do. They have to work to sustain the attraction.Reciprosexual- Only feels sexual attraction to people who feel sexual attraction towards them. If the person is sex-repulsed until the person shows interest in them, they are apothreciprosexual. If the attraction returns after a period of time, the person is nonrecipestosexual.Sequencesexual- Only experiences sexual attraction after experiencing romantic attraction.Tactusexual- Only experiences sexual attraction when having physical contact with someone.

Other Ace-related Identities

Abnosexual- Someone who's attraction towards a person fluctuates. For example, they might feel aesthetic attraction for a person for a long time, but out of the blue start feeling sexual attraction towards them. Then, go back to just feeling aesthetically attracted to them.Abrosexual- Someone who's orientation changes frequently. May be ace one day, then pan the next, etc. Blanksexual is a state in which an abrosexual does not feel sexual attraction. But in a "misplaced" way instead of an asexual way.Acebleed- An asexual who is sex repulsed/averse, and also romance repulsed/averse because they view romantic actions as sexual. Some can experience romantic attraction regardless.Aceflux- Someone who's orientation fluctuates while still being on the ace spectrum. (Example: Aegosexual one week, graysexual the next.) Whether or not they experience sexual attraction may fluctuate as well. Lesbiflux can be used for an aceflux lesbian.Aceish- An acespec person who only partially identifies with the label for various reasons.Acejump- Typically allosexual but experiences rare, intense spikes of asexuality for a short period of time. Opposite of acespike.Ace Loving Ace- An ace exclusively attracted to other aces. Or, they prefer to be in relationships with other acespecs. They may even lose attraction towards someone if they find out they're allo.Acespike- Typically asexual but experiences rare, intense spikes of sexual attraction for a short period of time. Opposite of acejump.Acevoid- People who identify as solely asexual. Does not have any other orientation other than that.Acrisexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction, but it just feels wrong! Like it shouldn't be happening to them.Aliquantumsexual- Someone with limited sexual attraction/libido.Aliquissexual- Sexually attracted to people based on personality.Alloflexible- Someone who is allosexual, but flexible with being ace. It's kind of like a graysexual relating more with allosexuals than asexuals.Anattractional- Someone who does not experience any form of attraction whatsoever. Falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Aspectussexual- Someone who is asexual, but defies all stereotypes by flirting, making sex jokes, dressing sexy, etc. Often accused of leading people on and/or not being “ace enough.” Ace icon Jessica Rabbit would fall under this.Athenian- Someone who does not experience at least one type of attraction.Azsexual- Someone on the ace spectrum who feels like they're allosexual. This is due to things like high libido, or experiencing sensual attraction that mimics sexual, or anything else.Burst- Asexual who occasionally experiences sudden, short bursts of sexual attraction.Caligosexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction so weak, it's practically non-existent.Cassexual- Someone who is indifferent to sexuality, and doesn't feel like it's an important part of their identity.Centrispec- Someone with a "center" orientation (bi, straight, etc.) but fluctuates through various aspec labels. Maybe even allosexual at times.Chronosasexual- Someone who takes a long time to develop sexual attraction towards someone. They can also tell if they'll end up sexually attracted to someone or not in the future. This is handy, as they can take steps to keep that person in their life if they want a relationship, or run for the hills if they're averse to feeling attraction.Desinosexual- Someone who does not feel sexual attraction fully, but still feels other attractions. They don't desire anyone sexually, but can appreciate a person's looks.Disakoisexual- Someone who wants to be sexually desired, but unable to return the feelings. They can still feel other forms of attraction though.Divisexual- Experiences sexual attraction after knowing someone a long time, but convince themselves they don't. Could be due to stress or trauma, but not necessarily.Doubtsexual- After experiencing sexual attraction, there are doubts that it was sexual attraction.Durasexual- Rarely experiences sexual attraction but when they do it lasts a long time.Dwinsexual- Someone who was allosexual but lost all sexual attraction after an intense experience relating to a sexual relationship or situation.Emotuace- Sexual orientation fluctuates depending on state of mind, but still stays on the asexual spectrum.Enigmasexual- Experiences sexual attraction so weak, they can’t tell what their orientation is.Erassexual- Sexual attraction has vanished partially or fully.Grayflexible- Someone who normally feels sexual attraction weakly but occasionally finds someone who they feel it strongly towards.Guiltisexual- Feels guilt or dread upon experiencing sexual attraction, to the point where it affects the attraction itself.Heterasexual- Someone who is acespec but also heterosexual.Juxtaromantic- Someone who wants a relationship without sex and maybe even without anything sensual going on.Lingersexual- Someone who feels next to no sexual attraction but wishes to someday. The fact they haven't experienced sexual attraction may affect their mental health.Lustersexual- Someone who mildly relates to the asexual spectrum. They relate more to allosexuals than gray aces, but still share some experiences with them. It's just mild enough to the point where they feel like gray asexual doesn't fit.Mixtasexual- Can only tell the difference between sexual attraction and romantic attraction. They can't differentiate the difference between sexual attraction from all the other forms of attraction.Myrsexual- Person who identifies as multiple acespec identities. Example: Someone who is demisexual, aceflux, and aegosexual.Nemosexual- Someone who has never experienced sexual attraction as far as they know. There could be a possibility of it happening in the future, but so far there's been nothing. Falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Noncopesexual- Feels sexual attraction but can't cope with it or act upon the feelings. Can be due to anxiety over sex, or worrying about it being disappointing, etc.Nopesexual- Identifies as having a lack of sexual orientation. They don't have a sexuality. Falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Panaspec- Someone's orientation is aspec across the entire board of attraction. They're aspec in terms of romantic attraction, sensual attraction, sexual attraction, aesthetic attraction, and all the rest.Parosexual- Feels different types of sexual attraction depending on gender. Example: Someone who is allosexual to men and fraysexual to enbies.Polarsexual- You’re either feeling sexual attraction like an allo or no sexual attraction like an ace with no in-between.Post Rubor- Gets excited when feeling sexual attraction, but when the excitement dies down, so does the attraction.Praetersexual- Someone who last experienced sexual attraction so long ago, they might as well be asexual. May fall under Black Stripe Asexual.Propeestsexual- Feeling like a mix of multiple acespec identities are mixed into one, big thing. They're blended in together in a way that makes it hard to tell what labels they fall under.Pseudosexual- Experiences attraction(s) (sensual, romantic, etc) strongly in a way that mimics sexual attraction, but isn't. They get turned on by an attraction that isn't sexual. Example: They might see someone they feel strong aesthetic attraction towards, and get aroused from the aesthetic attraction. But there's nothing sexual they want to do with the person.Puffinhoarder- Someone who goes around collecting aspec labels like they’re filling out their pokedex. (I came across the term while making this glossary and have never felt so called out.)Questian- Someone who is aspec, but doesn't know their orientation because of it. Perhaps they haven't been attracted to enough people to know for sure what gender(s) they're attracted to, or other reasons. Expeditian is when they're trying to find out what their true attraction is. Journian is when they want to find it, but know it'll take too long, so aren't actively searching. Wanderian is when they don't care to find out.Quoisexual- Cannot figure out where on the ace spectrum they fit, or if they’re even on it. May have given up hope on ever figuring it out because feelings are confusing af.Quoisexual Subtypes:Aceallo unsure- Someone who doen't know whether they're ace or allo.Alicosexual- Someone who knows they’re acespec, but they don’t fit an existing label.Aquiosexual- Feels like they don't experience sexual attraction, but unsure because they don't understand sexual attraction.Cupioquoisexual- A combination of cupiosexual and quoisexual where one doesn't know if they experience sexual attraction, but wants a sexual relationship regardless.Embrouillesexual- Cannot distinguish between sexual, romantic, and aesthetic attraction.Laimosexual- Unsure if they’re on the ace spectrum because they’re not sure what sexual attraction is supposed to feel like.Oculorusexual- Cannot distinguish between sexual and romantic attraction.Proxysexual- Feels a strong connection to sexual attraction, but lack the will to figure it out.Rat Ace- An ace who prefers cuddles, hugs, etc over sexual activities.Schrosexual- Someone who is asexual and allosexual at the same time.Semisexual- Someone in the middle of fully asexual and fully allosexual.Sporadic-Ace- An acespec whose sexual attraction never follows a specific pattern. (Example: May have experienced demi-type attraction towards someone, and litho-type attraction towards someone else.) Can be hard to pin down any acespec labels because of it.Stigsexual- Sexual attraction affected by stigma. The attraction is impossible to form because of it.Supressexual- Someone who purposely tries forgetting about sexual attraction/thoughts. Basically, suppressing the sexual attraction.Suptiliasexual- Someone who is strictly asexual. Never has and never will experience sexual attraction. Falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Vitrumsexual- Having a disconnected feeling from sexual attraction. It's like seeing it through a window.Vultusexual- Someone who experiences two or more non-sexual attractions that blend together. (Example: Aesthetic and sensual attraction are linked together in a way that you can't separate.) Since this doesn't include sexual attraction, it falls under Black Stripe Asexual.Zinniace- Someone who loses sexual attraction after acting on it.

Exclusive Identities

Abasexual- Once asexual but now allosexual due to trauma. For trauma survivors only. Opposite of caedsexual.Acevague- Aspec orientation influenced by a person’s neurodiversity. If the person knows they’re acespec but can’t tell if they experience attraction because they’re neurodiverse, they can use acefog.Agnesian- Someone who identifies with many acespec labels because only using a few doesn't accurately describe their identity.Autiace- One's asexuality is heavily influenced by autism. The two are linked, though not every ace with autism identifies as such.Caedsexual- People who are asexual due to trauma. For trauma survivors only. Opposite of abasexual.Deprisexual- Orientation affected by depression.Dysphorsexual- Sexuality is affected by dysphoria. Dysphosexual is when it fluctuates based on the strength of the dysphoria at that time.FPapothispike- People with borderline personality disorder who only experience attraction towards their Favorite Person.Hedonesexual- Someone who experiences sexual attraction and wants a sexual relationship, but once they have sex, they don't feel sexual pleasure. Typically due to medical problems or trauma.Inexmoric- Someone who is age-regressed (their headspace is a different age than they actually are) and feels like they are too young to know if they're ace.Kinaceflux- For someone who is otherkin. Their sexual attraction changes based on what kin they are at the given time.Laesumian- Someone who feels as though their sexual attraction has been damaged due to past trauma. They might still experience sexual attraction, but the attraction feels as though it's been shattered. Exclusive to trauma survivors and people with PTSD.Malnesexual- Someone on the ace spectrum due to maldevelopment from neglect.Nebulasexual- Cannot tell if they experience sexual attraction due to neurodivergence.Neuroasexual- Feels sexual attraction and/or wants to do sexual acts but is scared/repulsed/averse due to neurodivergency or trauma.Reincarnsexual- Sexually attracted to someone they believe was significant in their past life. For people who believe in reincarnation.Requeissexual- When someone feels asexual due to emotional exhaustion.Stresexual- Someone's sexual attraction is affected by trauma or mental health.Wolandsexual- Having sexual attraction that varies based on disability and/or chronic illness.Zeroic- Nonbinary people who don’t experience attraction.

With Exceptions

Artsexual- Sexually attracted to art like paintings and whatnot. Subtypes include crayosexual- crayon art, chalsexual- chalk art, cilsexual- pencil art, digisexual- digital art, kersexual- marker art, paisexual- paint/watercolor, pesexual- pen art, varisexual- various types of art.Atomosexual- Has only been sexually attracted to one person.Autosexual- Being sexually attracted to yourself. Someone who is autosexual and autoromantic is autorose.Boreasexual- Having a set sexual orientation but one person throws it off balance. Example: Asexual but one exception. Gay but one exception. Etc, etc.Certissexual- Exclusive sexual attraction. Typically sexually attracted to a specific person. It can be a celebrity, a fictional character, or something else entirely. Or, they might also be attracted to a specific type of person.Chromasexual- Only sexually attracted to people wearing certain colors.Eligeresexual- Someone who can choose if they feel sexual attraction to someone or not. If someone shows sexual interest in them, they can choose to feel that attraction.Fantasexual- Sexually attracted to people one fantasizes about.Fictosexual- Only experiences sexual attraction towards fictional characters. Animatesexual is when it’s towards anime/manga characters. Booklosexual is when it’s towards characters in books. Cartosexual is towards cartoon characters. Creatusexual is towards created characters. Droidsexual is towards robotic characters. Furciferofictosexual is towards villains. Gamosexual is towards videogame characters. Inatasexual is towards a made-up person in your head. Inreasexual is towards characters in live action movies/shows. Multifictino is when you experience sexual attraction towards multiple character-types. OCsexual is towards OCs. Spectrosexual is towards ghosts and phantoms. Teratosexual is towards monsters.Incognosexual- Sexually attracted towards people with an unknown identity like an online user or wearing clothing that hides who they really are.Inritosexual- Sexual attraction from a trigger like music, color, movement, etc.Internetsexual- Only experiences sexual attraction to people online. Loses attraction when seeing them offline.Limnosexual- Only sexually attracted to depictions of sexual acts through art and/or writing. Want nothing to do with any of it outside of that.Linksexual- Experiences sexual attraction only around couples.Loquisexual- Only sexually attracted to people they have personally interacted with.Nominesexual- Sexually attracted to people with a certain name. Possibly attracted to the name itself.Oligosexual- Only sexually attracted to a few specific people. If it’s only one person ever, they can go by unisexual.Opiniorsexual- Only sexually attracted towards strangers and/or fictional characters. It’s the “not knowing who they are” that gets them going.Potensexual- Someone who can only feel sexual attraction towards people who could potentially be attracted back. (Example: A lesbian only feeling sexual attraction towards women who are attracted to women.) Kind of an opposite to proculsexual.Proculsexual- Only sexually attracted to people they have no chance with. Celebrities, fictional characters, etc. Can be seen as an opposite to potensexual.Referosexual- Feels sexual attraction towards someone through sensations and moments such as music, daydreams, nostalgia, and old memories.Soloamare- Only experiences attraction to one person or one type of person for a long period of time.Somnisexual- One's sleep schedule changes their sexuality. Examples include: Pansexual when oversleeping, gay when undersleeping. Experiencing attraction towards a certain gender in dreams. Etc.Textsexual- Only feels sexual attraction when texting the person. Lose interest when you’re communicating in any other way.Unsolsexual- Only able to experience sexual attraction towards one person at a time.Uyutsexual- Only experiences sexual attraction in places/situations where the person feels safe.Vocasexual- Unable to experience sexual attraction to someone without hearing their voice first. Sexual attraction may occur if they find the person’s voice attractive.

Ace Culture

Ace Week- A week dedicated to celebrating aces, which first started in 2010. Typically the last week of October. It's a time for aces to be loud and proud. (Of course, we can be loud and proud anytime. But there's something extra special about being loud and proud during ace week.)Army Tank Aces- Acespec people dedicated to fighting against ace exclusionists. If any Army Tank Aces are reading this, thank you for your service but please take breaks from that shit. Dealing with aphobes can be damaging to your mental health in the long run. They're not worth it.The Asexual Manifesto- A manifesto written by Lisa Orlando in 1972 about asexuality. Used as proof that asexuality has been around before the internet was a thing. Here's a link to a transcript of it.AVEN- Asexual Visibility and Education Network. The most popular ace-related website with forums. Many terms originated from there. David Jay is the founder of it.Black ring- Wearing a black ring on the middle finger of your right hand is a subtle sign of signaling you're asexual. Aromantics use a white ring on the middle finger of their left hand. Optimal placement for flipping off aphobes.Cake- A baked good typically covered with frosting and served during celebrations. Known by asexuals to be better than sex, until it fell out of popular use to be replaced with garlic bread.Card Suites- Since ace is used as shorthand for asexual, there are references to ace cards and even symbolism. Ace of hearts are romantic asexuals, ace of spades are aromantic asexuals, ace of diamonds are demiromantic asexuals and demisexuals, and ace of clubs are grayromantic asexuals and graysexuals.Dragons- Dragons don't exist. Aces apparently don't exist. Therefore, ace people = dragons. Makes sense to me!Flag- The ace flag has four horizontal stripes. Black for asexuals, gray for the gray area, white for allies, and purple for community.Garlic bread- A type of bread seasoned with garlic, typically served as a side dish. Known by asexuals to be better than sex. Garlic bread memes seem to have popped up after the second wave of discourse died down and aces were allowed to be ace again. My guess is, the cake memes dropped out of existence during the discourse, and new aces weren't aware about cake so came up with garlic bread. But I could be wrong.Jessica Rabbit- A cartoon character from the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." She looks, dresses, and acts sexy. And yet she hasn't shown sexual interest in anyone, and is devoted to Roger Rabbit because he "makes her laugh." A popular quote from her is, "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn this way." Many aces headcannon her to be asexual because of this. After all, she defies all asexual stereotypes, which is pretty awesome.Jughead Jones- A character from the Archie comics who is aroace. Then Riverdale came along and butchered him into being another cishet character. A perfect example of ace erasure.Purple- Our flag is purple so purple is our favorite color, I guess.Todd Chavez- A confirmed asexual character from the Netflix show "Bojack," portrayed respectfully. Finally, some good rep!