Search results
- Dictionarysex/sɛks/
noun
- 1. (chiefly with reference to people) sexual activity, including specifically sexual intercourse: "they enjoyed talking about sex" Similar
- 2. either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions: "adults of both sexes" Similar
verb
- 1. determine the sex of: "each bird would need to be individually sexed"
- 2. present something in a more interesting or lively way. informal
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The meaning of SEX is either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures. How to use sex in a sentence. Are gender and sex the same? Usage Guide: Usage Guide
the physical state of being either male, female, or intersex: What sex is your cat? Some tests enable you to find out the sex of your baby before it's born. It's illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of (their) sex. She accused her employer of sex discrimination (= of treating her unfairly because she was a woman). Compare. gender.
- Overview
- Sex
- Gender
- Identity and expression
- Summary
People often use the terms “sex” and “gender” interchangeably, but this is incorrect. Sex refers to biological physical differences, while gender is how people identify.
“Sex” refers to the physical differences between people who are male, female, or intersex. A person typically has their sex assigned at birth based on physiological characteristics, including their genitalia and chromosome composition. This assigned sex is called a person’s “natal sex.”
Gender, on the other hand, involves how a person identifies. Unlike natal sex, gender is not made up of binary forms. Instead, gender is a broad spectrum. A person may identify at any point within this spectrum or outside of it entirely.
People may identify with genders that are different from their natal sex or with none at all. These identities may include transgender, nonbinary, or gender-neutral. There are many other ways in which a person may define their own gender.
Sex assignment typically happens at birth based on anatomical and physiological markers.
Male and female genitalia, both internal and external, are different, and male and female bodies have distinct hormonal and chromosomal makeups. Doctors use these factors to assign natal sex.
At birth, female-assigned people have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, and while assigned males have higher levels of testosterone. Assigned females typically have two copies of the X chromosome, and assigned males have one X and one Y chromosome.
Society often sees maleness and femaleness as a biological binary. However, there are issues with this distinction. For instance, the chromosomal markers are not always clear-cut. Some male babies are born with two or three X chromosomes, just as some female babies are born with a Y chromosome.
Also, some babies are born with atypical genitalia due to a difference in sex development.
This type of difference was once called a “disorder of sex development,” but this term is problematic. In a 2015 survey, most respondents perceived the term negatively. A further review found that many people do not use it at all, and instead use “intersex.”
In the United States, gender has historically been defined as a binary. Many other cultures have long recognized third genders or do not recognize a binary that matches the American understanding.
In any case, the idea of gender as an either/or issue is incorrect.
Someone who identifies with the gender that they were assigned at birth is called “cisgender.”
Someone who is not cisgender and does not identify within the gender binary — of man or woman, boy or girl — may identify as nonbinary, genderfluid, or genderqueer, among other identities.
A person whose gender identity is different from their natal sex might identify as transgender.
A 2016 review confirms that gender exists on a broad spectrum — in contrast to the genetic definitions of sex.
A person may identify and express their gender in different ways.
Gender identity is how a person feels internally, while their expression is how they present themselves to the outside world. For example, a person may identify as nonbinary but present as a man to the outside world.
GLAAD, formerly called the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, describes gender identity as “one’s internal, personal sense” of belonging at some point on or off of the gender spectrum. The organization adds:
“Most people have a gender identity of man or woman (or boy or girl). For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices.”
GLAAD describes gender expression as: “External manifestations of gender, expressed through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine and feminine, although what is considered masculine and feminine changes over time and varies by culture.”
To discover more evidence-based information and LGBTQIA+ resources, visit our dedicated hub.
For centuries, many societies have enforced the notion that a person is either a man or woman based on their physical characteristics. This idea conflates sex and gender, which is incorrect. Sex and gender are not the same.
In general terms, sex refers to a person’s physical characteristics at birth, and gender encompasses a person’s identities, expressions, and societal roles.
Sex definition: the male, female, or sometimes intersex division of a species, especially as differentiated with reference to the reproductive functions or physical characteristics such as genitals, XX and XY chromosomes, etc.. See examples of SEX used in a sentence.
Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. [1] [2] [3] [4] During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inherits traits from each parent.
Sex is the physical activity between people that involves the sexual organs. He was very open in his attitudes about sex. The entire film revolves around sex and violence.
Sex refers to whether the cat is male or female. In addition to referring to the biological categories of male and female, sex is also shorthand for the activity of being physically intimate with a romantic partner. This word can also be used as a verb: farmers who sex their chickens are figuring out whether they have a rooster or a hen.
