they/them

1 synonym for they/them, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Pronoun — A set of pronouns used to refer to a single person, especially one who is non-binary or whose gender is not known or not being specified. Often stated as a person's pronouns in introductions, email signatures and social media profiles.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

singular they

How to use they/them

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

they/them pronouns use they/them pronouns in bio singular they

Neutral and now standard in workplace, academic and media writing. Deliberately using the wrong pronouns for someone is widely read as an insult rather than a grammatical choice.

Etymology

Comes from a common format used to specify gender-neutral pronouns in online profiles.

Full origin of they/them →

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean when someone says their pronouns are they/them?

It means they want to be referred to with "they", "them", "their" and "theirs" rather than he/him or she/her. It is most often used by non-binary people, but some people use it simply because they prefer not to be gendered. Grammatically it works like a plural pronoun but refers to one person: "they are running late".

Is singular "they" grammatically correct?

Yes. Singular "they" has been used in English since the 1300s for a person of unknown or unspecified gender, as in "someone left their umbrella". Major style guides, including the AP Stylebook and Chicago, now also accept it for a named individual who uses it.

What is the difference between they/them and he/him or she/her?

They/them does not specify gender; he/him and she/her do. All three are simply the pronoun set a speaker uses when talking about the person, and the person themself decides which applies.

Nearby words

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