noun
cis woman
sis WUUM-uhn
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.”
noun
1
A woman whose gender identity matches the female sex she was recorded as at birth; a woman who is not transgender.
"The survey covered both cis women and trans women."
"She is a cis woman writing about experiences that are not her own."
How to use cis woman
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA woman who was born female and identifies as female.
When to use it
Neutral descriptive term, standard in health, research and journalism.
Memory tip
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 ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
cis and trans women
a cis woman
cis women's experiences
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Etymology
From the Latin prefix cis- 'on this side of', paired against trans- 'across, on the other side of'.
Synonyms
View more →
cisgender woman
cis female
Antonyms
trans woman
transgender woman
Related words
Rhymes for cis woman
Oman
woman
roman
Loman
yeoman
ottoman
madwoman
catwoman
saleswoman
chairwoman
policewoman
councilwoman
See all 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.
What is the meaning of 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.
