gender neutral

2 antonyms for gender neutral — opposites grouped by meaning.

Adjective — Designed or worded so as not to be associated with, or to favour, either men or women.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adjective

Designed or worded so as not to be associated with, or to favour, either men or women.

“The office replaced its signs with gender-neutral toilets.”

unisex gender-inclusive non-gendered all-gender

Opposites

gendered gender-specific

2. adjective

Of a name, pronoun or grammatical form: usable for any gender.

“Alex and Sam are popular gender-neutral names.”

unisex epicene common-gender

Antonyms

gendered gender-specific

How to use gender neutral

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

gender-neutral language gender-neutral toilets gender-neutral name gender-neutral pronouns gender-neutral parenting

Hyphenated before a noun (gender-neutral language), open after the verb (the wording is gender neutral). Preferred over unisex in policy and HR contexts; unisex survives mainly for clothing, salons and changing rooms.

Etymology

Gender is from Latin genus, meaning kind or sort, via Old French gendre; neutral is from Latin neutralis, from neuter meaning neither of the two.

Full origin of gender neutral →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between gender neutral and gender fluid?

Gender neutral describes things — words, clothes, bathrooms, policies — that are not tied to any gender. Gender fluid describes a person whose own gender identity shifts over time. A gender-fluid person may or may not prefer gender-neutral language for themselves.

What is the difference between gender neutral and unisex?

They overlap, but unisex usually means suitable for both men and women — a unisex salon, unisex sizing — and still assumes two categories. Gender neutral goes further, avoiding gender as a category at all, which is why inclusive policies and language guides prefer it.

Is "they" acceptable as a gender-neutral pronoun?

Yes. Singular they has been used in English for centuries for an unknown or unspecified person, and is now standard for people who use it as their pronoun. Major style guides, including the AP and Chicago manuals, accept it.

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unisex epicene gendered

Nearby words

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