third gender

American  

[thurd jen-der] / ˈθɜrd ˈdʒɛn dər /

noun

1. Anthropology. any of various gender classifications in societies that recognize a gender other than male or female.

2. a person who identifies as a gender other than male or female or as neither male nor female.

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adjective

1. being or relating to a person who belongs to a gender classification or identifies as a gender other than male or female.

Etymology

Origin of third gender

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In 2014, India's Supreme Court recognised transgender people as a "third gender" and affirmed their right to self-identify.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

At least a dozen states offer some form of third gender ID on birth certificates.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

Rongen also had to heal with the trauma surrounding defender Jaiyah Saelua, a fa’afafine, or third gender, in Polynesian society.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2023

In India, a third gender known as hijras have been documented as far back as the Middle Ages and are recognized as an official third gender in Indian countries throughout the subcontinent.

From Salon • May 22, 2023

Malta and Nepal join the list of countries offering their citizens the choice of an official third gender.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater