TERF
0 antonyms and opposites of TERF, grouped by meaning.
Noun — A person, usually described as a feminist, who holds that transgender women are not women and should be excluded from women's spaces, services and campaigns.
How to Use Terf
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Hostile in nearly all use; treated as a slur by those it describes. Neutral alternatives are 'gender-critical' or a plain description of the view.
Etymology
An acronym of 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist', originating in online feminist debate in the late 2000s.
Full origin of TERF →Frequently Asked Questions
Is TERF a slur?
That is genuinely disputed. People it is applied to overwhelmingly reject it and many describe it as a slur used to shut down debate; those who use it generally maintain it is an accurate description of a political position. Most careful writing avoids the term and describes the specific view instead.
What is the difference between TERF and gender-critical?
They label broadly the same position from opposite sides. 'Gender-critical' is the self-description used by people who hold that biological sex, not gender identity, should determine access to women's spaces; 'TERF' is the label applied to them by critics.
Is every TERF a radical feminist?
No, despite the acronym. In practice the word is applied to anyone taking a trans-exclusionary line, including conservatives and people with no connection to radical feminist theory, which is one reason the term is criticised as imprecise.