transgender

[trans-jen-der, tranz‑]

adjective

1. noting or relating to a person whose gender identity does not correspond to that person’s sex assigned at birth: She identifies as transgender.

   The organization supports transgender rights.

   She identifies as transgender.

2. noting or relating to a person who does not conform to societal gender norms or roles.

noun

1. Usually Offensive.,  a person who is transgender.

transgender

/ ˌtrænzˈdʒɛndə /

adjective

1. of or relating to a person who wants to belong to the opposite sex

Sensitive Note

The term transgender has largely replaced the older term transsexual, which is now considered outdated, though some people within the community continue to identify with the word transsexual, especially older people. Transgender is a less clinical term, referring more to gender identity and gender expression than to physical sex characteristics or sexual orientation. It is also a more general and inclusive term: a transgender person may be nonbinary, gender-fluid, genderqueer, third gender, etc. Use of transgender as a noun (One of my colleagues is a transgender ) is declining and is usually taken as offensive. And many people object to the adjectival variant transgendered (One of my colleagues is transgendered ) because the –ed suffix seems to imply that something happened to make the person transgender. See also trans, transsexual.

Other Word Forms

• transgendered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of transgender¹

First recorded in 1970–75; trans- + gender ¹

Example Sentences

Kirk called transgender people “a throbbing middle finger to God.”

From Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would expand the state’s protections of transgender people by shielding their medical data from being shared with Republican-led states and law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times

Kirk was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and sceptical about the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC

The transgender community, he proclaimed, were “a throbbing middle finger to God” and an “abomination.”

From Salon

This is particularly true for transgender service members who are being forced out of the military and denied their retirement benefits.

From Salon