noun

gender

JEHN-duh

noun

The state of being male, female, or another identity, often understood as bound up with social roles and personal identity, distinct from biological sex.

"The form asked for gender as well as sex."

"Schools increasingly discuss gender identity with students."

In grammar, a category — such as masculine, feminine, or neuter — that nouns and pronouns are sorted into in many languages.

"French nouns each have a grammatical gender, masculine or feminine."

verb

To assume, assign, or address someone as having a particular gender.

"People sometimes gender babies based on the color of their clothes."

How to Use Gender

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA person's identity as male, female, or otherwise, or (in grammar) the male/female/neuter classification of nouns.

Common mistake

Gender and sex are related but not identical: sex usually refers to biology, gender to identity and social role.

Easily confused with

sex → genre →

Word Forms

more gender comparative, gendered past tense, gendered past tense, genders plural, genders plural, genders singular, genders singular, most gender superlative

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Test yourself on “gender” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

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.

Synonyms

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biological sex gendersex voice

Related Words

say voice

Rhymes for gender

ender fender tender bender render lender sender slender blender spender lavender defender

See all rhymes for gender →

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