androgyny

noun

an·​drog·​y·​ny an-ˈdrä-jə-nē 

: the quality or state of being neither specifically feminine or masculine : the combination of feminine and masculine characteristics : the quality or state of being androgynous

For this brand, wearing unisex clothing perpetuates androgyny that pervades runways and our own culture.

—Dylan Leavitt

And though he was singing to women, he reveled in androgyny, appearing onstage in high heels, frilly shirts and revealing chaps.

—Jack Riedy

… I felt like someone else was seeing what I had seen in myself: that my inner sense of androgyny was reflected in ways I carried myself like a man.

—Delacey Skinner

The natural androgyny of old age has acquired no appeal. The tendency of male and female bodies to resemble each other in late maturity is still conventionally ridiculous and deplorable …

—Anne Hollander

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The fold at the waist adds a touch of androgyny. —Town & Country, 9 Mar. 2023

In addition to nearly 100 acting credits, including five projects that debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Tilda Swinton is well known for her mysteriousness, emanating from the eccentricities of her characters and the androgyny of her personal style. —Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 31 Dec. 2021

Her outfit videos show a sophisticated side of fashion, with a hint of androgyny that is both refreshing and inspiring. —Kristen Bateman, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 Jan. 2022

The music, the words, the Warhol, the attitude, the androgyny, the fragility, the ferocity. —Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Jan. 2023

The joke over Pat's androgyny has soured in modern times, leading star/writer Julia Sweeney to confront the awkward character's legacy of mocking gender nonconformity in a series of appearances and interviews. —Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2022

Womenswear has always borrowed from the men’s department and called it Annie Hall style, minimalism or androgyny. —Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022

There is a purposeful androgyny in the collection, with David Bowie in loose 1980s trousers appearing on Griffith’s mood board. —Colleen Barry, ajc, 22 Sep. 2022

Famous for her trademark androgyny, the actress is shown working for the U.S. Army, entertaining soldiers in Europe during World War II. —Immy Humes, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Aug. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

androgyn(ous) + -y entry 2

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above