gender dysphoria

[ jen-der dis-fawr-ee-uh ]

noun

1. a psychological condition marked by significant emotional distress and impairment in life functioning, caused by a lack of congruence between gender identity and sex assigned at birth. transgenderism ( def ).

gender dysphoria

noun

1. a condition in which a person feels uncertainty or anxiety about his or her birth gender

Sensitive Note

Some transgender individuals and their advocates object to the use of the word "disorder" to describe this condition and therefore reject use of the variant term gender identity disorder, which was once used more widely. However, others feel that classifying it as a disorder may facilitate access to medical care related to the condition.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gender dysphoria¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Currently, UK adults can get a gender recognition certificate if they meet certain criteria including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

From BBC

“It’s not necessarily obvious — was this service being provided because of someone’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria or for some other reason?”

From Los Angeles Times

ADF’s CEO has said that she doesn’t believe in transgender identity, only gender dysphoria, and that the group’s next priority is fighting “the radical gender-identity ideology infiltrating the law.”

From Slate

It follows a ban, earlier this year, on the routine prescription of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria.

From BBC

For example, the report does not convincingly show that there has been an “exponential increase” in children with gender dysphoria in the U.K. attributable to some combination of social media, influencers, and mental health problems generally.

From Slate