Platoniromantic
Platoniromantic describes a person who experiences romantic attraction that blends romantic and platonic feelings, or attraction that does not fit clearly into either category.
Someone who is platoniromantic may want emotional closeness, affection, or partnership with another person, but the feelings may feel more like a deep friendship. The attraction can involve strong bonding or commitment without the typical expectations of romantic relationship. For some asexual people, platoniromantic attraction feels like romantic attraction, only without the sexual element.
Origins of the Term Platoniromantic
The term platoniromantic is very recent and comes from combining two words. "Platonic" comes from the the name of the Greek philosopher Plato, and "romantic," which relates to romantic attraction.
The word began appearing in online LGBTQ+ and asexual-spectrum communities in the 2010s. It emerged as people were trying to describe attraction that didn’t fit standard romantic or platonic categories. Communities on platforms such as Tumblr, AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network), and other identity-label spaces developed many new terms to describe nuanced attraction experiences.
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