To make or become heterosexual; to shift toward or adopt heterosexual practices or identity.
From hetero- (other, different; heterosexual) plus -ize (to make or cause to become). Emerged in sexological and sociological literature of the late 19th century.
This verb highlights how sexuality was once viewed as something that could be 'converted' or 'changed'—it's a linguistic reminder of how psychological and medical thinking about sexuality has evolved dramatically.
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