transgender

adjective

trans·​gen·​der tran(t)s-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce transgender (audio)
tranz-
: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person was identified as having at birth
especially : of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person was identified as having at birth
transgenderism noun

Examples of transgender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Bundy’s son Eli, who is transgender and attends college out of state, has frequently addressed the Legislature to oppose anti-transgender bills. Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 6 Dec. 2023 In another part of the city, an underground art group for transgender people organized by Center T met on a warm afternoon last month, in an atmosphere so exuberant that the outside world of politicians whipping up anti-transgender sentiment seemed far away for a few hours. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023 Facing violence for being transgender Transgender Awareness week ends with the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, which honors the lives lost to anti-transgender violence. Christopher Dawson, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023 Lawmakers are unlikely to stop at the transgender athletes ban, which is among a handful of anti-transgender bills being considered in Kansas this session and among hundreds of similar bills nationally. Andrew Bahl, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2023 The Wall Street Journal 6 Kentucky governor vetoes widespread transgender regulation bill Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Friday vetoed a controversial bill that would have expanded anti-transgender regulations across his state. Justin Klawans, The Week, 25 Mar. 2023 Top surgery is performed on some transgender men and nonbinary people to remove breast tissue or augment the breast, enabling them to feel more physically aligned with their gender identity. Amarachi Orie, CNN, 3 Feb. 2023 According to the Department of Justice, transgender persons are 2.5 times more likely to be violent crime victims than cisgender people. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 2 Feb. 2023 People gather in support of transgender youths at a rally at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on Jan. 24. Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of transgender was in 1974

Dictionary Entries Near transgender

Cite this Entry

“Transgender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transgender. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

transgender

adjective
trans·​gen·​der tran(t)s-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce transgender (audio)
: of or relating to people who have a gender identity that is not clearly male or clearly female

Medical Definition

transgender

adjective
trans·​gen·​der tran(t)s-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce transgender (audio)
tranz-
: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person was identified as having at birth
especially : of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person was identified as having at birth
transgenderism noun

More from Merriam-Webster on transgender

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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