conversion therapy
noun
plural conversion therapies
: the use of any of various methods (such as aversive stimulation or religious counseling) in an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual or to change a person's gender identity to correspond to the sex the person was identified as having at birth
Note: Conversion therapy is generally regarded as having no scientific basis and as being both ineffective and harmful.
Conversion therapy is both pointless and painful. At its best, it can inflict considerable psychological damage on a child without changing their sexual orientation or gender identity whatsoever. At its worst, it can lead to suicide …—
Samantha Allen
Samantha AllenMomentum has been building in legislative sessions this spring for the bans, which prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy for anyone under 18.—Susan Miller
Susan Millercalled also reparative therapy
Examples of conversion therapy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In: Conversion therapy ban challenge In a major case for its next term, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a First Amendment challenge to conversion therapy bans for LGBTQ+ minors.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
State of play: More than 20 states have bans on subjecting minors to conversion therapy.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
The case would determine whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025
House Bill 495, which reverses Beshear's 2024 executive order banning conversion therapy while also banning Medicaid from covering some medical treatments for transgender residents, is among them.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for conversion therapy
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Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
State of play: More than 20 states have bans on subjecting minors to conversion therapy.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
The case would determine whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025
House Bill 495, which reverses Beshear's 2024 executive order banning conversion therapy while also banning Medicaid from covering some medical treatments for transgender residents, is among them.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for conversion therapy
Cite this Entry
“Conversion therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversion%20therapy. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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