gender expression

noun

: the physical and behavioral manifestations of one's gender identity

People vary greatly in the extent to which they hold and convey gendered thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Gender expression refers to the way people convey their gender through mannerisms, behaviors, or expressions.

—Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology

For most people, … gender expression occurs so naturally it's unnoticeable. Except when gender expression doesn't match traditional notions of the gender assigned at birth.

—Will Dean

Examples of gender expression in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mom supported female gender expression Lugo had an affinity for the feminine since childhood, his family shared. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024

Its models — scouted by Stephanie Francis, the project’s co-director and designer — strike vulnerable, yet confident poses, revealing how cancer has transformed their bodies while also asserting themselves in their overhauled embodiment of beauty, body image and gender expression. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024

Weddings Trends and Ideas Beyond the Binary: Some designers are creating wedding fashion for the modern era that embraces a wider range of gender expressions. —Sadiba Hasan, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024

In one, people of different races, classes and gender expressions have their feet washed, including a woman outside a family planning clinic. —Tiffany Stanley, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2024

One group, the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium, offers free model lessons to schools, on topics such as the abolitionist John Brown’s raid, mass incarceration and gender expression, which are all part of the state’s framework. —Dana Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

More than a third (39%) of respondents said they were harassed online because of their gender expression or identity in the previous 12 months, and 30% reported being verbally harassed during the same time frame. —Chandelis Duster, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024

At the beginning of the musical, Jerry, on the run from the mob, disguises himself as a woman, named Daphne, and then later finds joy and authenticity in that gender expression. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 May 2023

Parents fall into assumptions based on years of biases and learned constructs about gender and gender expression. —Amber Leventry, Parents, 2 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

gender expression

noun

: the physical and behavioral manifestations of one's gender identity

… some transgender people experience gender dysphoria, defined as psychological distress associated with a sense of incongruence between their gender identity and gender expression and/or body and physical appearance.

—Jae M. Sevelius et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Women in couples where both partners have more feminine gender expressions may be more likely to be perceived as sisters or friends by onlookers, making them less likely to be targets of homophobia, but simultaneously making it more likely that their romantic relationship will be dismissed.

—Lauren Matheson et al., The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality