cis woman
Cis woman (noun) means a woman whose gender identity matches the female sex she was recorded as at birth; a woman who is not transgender. Example: “The survey covered both cis women and trans women.”
How to Use Cis woman
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA woman who was born female and identifies as female.
Neutral descriptive term, standard in health, research and journalism.
Cis is an adjective, not a shortening, so it is never punctuated with a full stop and never takes a plural ending.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She is a _____ writing about experiences that are not her own.
Etymology
From the Latin prefix cis- 'on this side of', paired against trans- 'across, on the other side of'.
Synonyms
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Related Words
Rhymes for cis woman
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a cis woman and a trans woman?
A cis woman was recorded female at birth and identifies as a woman. A trans woman was recorded male at birth and identifies as a woman. Both are women; the terms distinguish only their birth record.
Is cis woman a neutral term?
The word is neutral by design — it exists so that non-transgender women can be named rather than assumed as the default. It can be deployed sharply in heated argument, but that reflects the exchange rather than the word.
How do you spell and pronounce it?
Two words, cis woman, pronounced sis with a soft S. The plural is cis women. The longer form cisgender woman is written as one word.