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noun

cis male

sis MAYL

Cis male (noun) means a person who was recorded as male at birth and whose gender identity is male — that is, a man who is not transgender. Example: “The study compared outcomes for trans and cis male participants.”

noun
1
A person who was recorded as male at birth and whose gender identity is male — that is, a man who is not transgender.
"The study compared outcomes for trans and cis male participants."
"As a cis male, he acknowledged he had never had to think about it."
adjective
1
Describing a man whose gender identity matches the sex he was assigned at birth.
"The panel was entirely cis male."

How to Use Cis male

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA man who was born male and still identifies as male.

When to use it

Neutral descriptive term. Sometimes written cisgender male in formal or academic prose.

Memory tip

Cis is a normal adjective, not an abbreviation, so it takes no full stop. Write cis male, not cis. male.

Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
cis male privilege a cis male perspective cis and trans men
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The study compared outcomes for trans and _____ participants.

Etymology

From the Latin prefix cis- 'on this side of', the counterpart of trans- 'across, on the other side of', borrowed from its established use in chemistry and geography.

Origin: Latin

cisgender male cis man

Antonyms

trans male transgender man transgender

Related Words

Rhymes for cis male

See all rhymes for cis male →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between cis male and trans male?

A cis male was recorded male at birth and identifies as male. A trans male was recorded female at birth and identifies as male. Both are men; the terms describe only whether the birth record matched.

Is cis male an insult?

The word itself is a neutral descriptor, coined so that non-transgender people could be named rather than treated as the unstated default. It can be used pointedly or mockingly in argument, as almost any group label can, but that is the speaker's tone rather than the word's meaning.

Is it cis male or cis man?

Both are used and understood. Cis man is generally preferred in careful writing because man refers to gender, while male can read as a reference to biology and sounds clinical when applied to people.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial · etymology from FreeDict original editorial