gender
Gender (noun) means the state of being male, female, or another identity, often understood as bound up with social roles and personal identity, distinct from biological sex. Example: “The form asked for gender as well as sex.”
How to Use Gender
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA person's identity as male, female, or otherwise, or (in grammar) the male/female/neuter classification of nouns.
Gender and sex are related but not identical: sex usually refers to biology, gender to identity and social role.
Word Forms
more gender comparative, gendered past tense, gendered past tense, genders plural, genders plural, genders singular, genders singular, most gender superlative
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The form asked for _____ as well as sex.
Etymology
From Old French gendre, from Latin genus, "kind" or "type" — the same root that gave us genre and genus.
Related Words
Rhymes for gender
See all rhymes for gender →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “gender” mean?
The word “gender” means the state of being male, female, or another identity, often understood as bound up with social roles and personal identity, distinct from biological sex. In plain terms, a person's identity as male, female, or otherwise, or (in grammar) the male/female/neuter classification of nouns.
How do you pronounce “gender”?
“Gender” is pronounced JEHN-duh (/ˈd͡ʒɛndɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “gender” in a sentence?
Here is “gender” used in a sentence: “The form asked for gender as well as sex.”
What is another word for “gender”?
Words with a similar meaning to “gender” include biological sex, gendersex and voice.
What part of speech is “gender”?
Depending on how it is used, “gender” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “gender” come from?
The word “gender” comes from Latin. From Old French gendre, from Latin genus, "kind" or "type" — the same root that gave us genre and genus.
Is “gender” a common word?
“Gender” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “gender” have?
“Gender” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the state of being male, female, or another identity, often understood as bound up with social roles and personal identity, distinct from biological sex.
What is the difference between gender and genre?
Though they share a Latin root meaning 'kind,' the words differ in English. Gender concerns being male, female, or another identity. Genre means a category or style of creative work, such as a genre of film, music, or literature. Confusion arises partly because in French the word 'genre' means gender.
What does 'gender' mean in grammar?
In many languages, grammatical gender is a way of classifying nouns, often as masculine, feminine, or neuter. It affects the articles, adjectives, and endings used with a word. For example, French 'le' and 'la' mark masculine and feminine nouns. This grammatical sense is separate from gender as personal or social identity.