cis

1 of 3

adjective

1
chemistry : characterized by having certain atoms or groups of atoms on the same side of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule
… this process changes the cis form of naturally occurring fats to the trans form …Sue Rodwell Williams
2
[by shortening] : cisgender
… this whole experiment is framed within the experiences of a cis woman.Lani Irving
3
genetics : relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which both mutant alleles are on one chromosome and both wild-type alleles are on the homologous chromosome compare trans sense 3

CIS

2 of 3

abbreviation

Commonwealth of Independent States

cis-

3 of 3

prefix

1
: on this side
cislunar
cisatlantic
2
: cis
cis-dichloroethylene
compare trans- sense 2b

Examples of cis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Very little time is spent exploring what their experiences look like from their own perspectives, much less what EOD means for the larger community of non-cis people. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2023 This new therapist was cis male, Jewish, and was actually trained in sports psychology. Anna Borges, SELF, 22 Oct. 2019 In cis women, nonconcordance happens about 90% of the time, meaning only 10% of the time do their genitals/brains match up. Anna Pulley, chicagotribune.com, 23 Sep. 2019 My first was with my spouse (who is non-binary) and a cis man, the second with my spouse and a cis woman. Irina Gonzalez, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2019 Support organizations and causes that specifically center LGBTQ people and transgender people who need reproductive health care, and not just cis women. Elly Belle, Teen Vogue, 17 May 2019 That has started to change recently, but by and large cis people still hold the power to frame trans lives for the masses. Katelyn Burns, The New Republic, 30 Dec. 2019 As last night’s excellent moderators demonstrated, to get ahead, genders and identities other than cis men have to be nearly superhuman. Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, 21 Nov. 2019 The news comes after Pose star Mj Rodriguez became the first trans actress to play the cis character Audrey in a main stage production of Little Shop of Horrors. EW.com, 27 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin, literally, on this side

Prefix

Latin, from cis — more at he

First Known Use

Adjective

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cis was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near cis

Cite this Entry

“Cis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cis. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

cis

1 of 2 adjective
1
: characterized by having certain atoms or groups of atoms on the same side of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule
2
: relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which both mutant alleles are on one chromosome and both wild-type alleles are on the homologous chromosome compare trans sense 2

CIS

2 of 2 abbreviation
carcinoma in situ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!