noun

TERF

turf

TERF (noun) means a person, usually described as a feminist, who holds that transgender women are not women and should be excluded from women's spaces, services and campaigns. Example: “The panel was picketed by activists who called the speaker a TERF.”

noun

contentious A person, usually described as a feminist, who holds that transgender women are not women and should be excluded from women's spaces, services and campaigns.

"The panel was picketed by activists who called the speaker a TERF."

"She rejects the label TERF and describes herself as a gender-critical feminist."

adjective

contentious Holding or promoting trans-exclusionary views within feminism.

"The group was accused of publishing TERF talking points."

How to Use TERF

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA label for someone who says trans women should not count as women.

When to use it

Hostile in nearly all use; treated as a slur by those it describes. Neutral alternatives are 'gender-critical' or a plain description of the view.

Easily confused with

gender-critical radical feminist

Common pairings

called a TERF TERF rhetoric TERF island

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

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

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The panel was picketed by activists who called the speaker a _____.

Etymology

An acronym of 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist', originating in online feminist debate in the late 2000s.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

gender-critical feminist

Rhymes for TERF

serf

See all rhymes for TERF →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TERF a slur?

That is genuinely disputed. People it is applied to overwhelmingly reject it and many describe it as a slur used to shut down debate; those who use it generally maintain it is an accurate description of a political position. Most careful writing avoids the term and describes the specific view instead.

What is the difference between TERF and gender-critical?

They label broadly the same position from opposite sides. 'Gender-critical' is the self-description used by people who hold that biological sex, not gender identity, should determine access to women's spaces; 'TERF' is the label applied to them by critics.

Is every TERF a radical feminist?

No, despite the acronym. In practice the word is applied to anyone taking a trans-exclusionary line, including conservatives and people with no connection to radical feminist theory, which is one reason the term is criticised as imprecise.

Featured In

Vocabulary lists that include TERF:

Words That End With F