Demisexuality refers to feeling sexual attraction toward a person only after developing a strong emotional bond with them. Desire is not absent, but conditional: it needs intimacy and trust to emerge, which sets it apart from attraction that can arise more immediately. Located on the asexuality spectrum, demisexuality is an orientation in its own right, not a choice or a mere preference. Recognizing it allows many people to better understand how they work and to live it with more ease.
Definition