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Glossary

Romantic Attraction

Romantic attraction is the desire to form a close, romantic emotional bond with another person, which can differ from sexual attraction.

Romantic attraction is the pull toward forming a deep, romantic emotional connection with someone, distinct from sexual attraction, which is the desire for sexual contact. A person can experience these two kinds of attraction toward the same people, different people, or feel one without the other. This distinction is often called the split attraction model, and it grew largely out of asexual and aromantic communities, where separating romance from sex helps people describe their experiences accurately. Recognizing romantic attraction on its own terms lets someone name, for example, that they want a romantic partnership without wanting sex, or the reverse.

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