gender neutral
6 synonyms and 2 antonyms for gender neutral, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Designed or worded so as not to be associated with, or to favour, either men or women.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
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.”
Opposites
2. adjective
Of a name, pronoun or grammatical form: usable for any gender.
“Alex and Sam are popular gender-neutral names.”
How to Use Gender Neutral
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
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.