gender identity

noun

: a person's internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female
Facebook provides more than 50 options beyond "male" and "female" for users to describe their gender identity, from "gender questioning" and "neither" to "androgynous."The Chicago Tribune

Examples of gender identity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advocates say those actions could roll back workplace anti-discrimination protections and limit the ability of transgender and nonbinary Americans to update passports to reflect their gender identity. Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026 The state's constitution was revised in 2022, when Democratic lawmakers voted to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment, which added gender identity to its list of diversity classifications that are protected under state law. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026 There isn’t a Texas law prohibiting gender identity teaching. Samuel O’Neal 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026 Twenty-nine states have laws or regulations prohibiting trans student-athletes in K-12 schools or colleges from competing on teams that align with their gender identities. Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gender identity

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gender identity was in 1964

Cite this Entry

“Gender identity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gender%20identity. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

gender identity

noun
: a person's internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female

Medical Definition

gender identity

noun
: a person's internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male or female
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster