transsexual
a person whose gender identity does not correspond to their sex assigned at birth; transgender.
a person who has undergone or wants to undergo hormone therapy or surgery to align their physical characteristics more closely with their gender identity.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a person whose gender identity does not correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
Compare Meanings
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
Origin of transsexual
1- Sometimes tran·sex·u·al .
usage note For transsexual
Today, the transsexual identity is perceived to fall under the wider umbrella term trans, though it is not exactly equivalent to the term transgender. Transsexual is still sometimes the preferred term among older trans people who have been using the term transsexual to describe their own identity for years. However, owing to the previous association of transsexual with a mental disorder diagnosis, and a history of disparaging use in popular culture, the term is now often considered offensive in general use, especially among younger speakers. There is also some tension between the terms transsexual and transgender, the former term associated with external and physical markers of gender identity, and the latter with internal identification along a gender continuum. Still other speakers use the two terms interchangeably. As always when using identity labels, the best choice is the one with which the person in question self-identifies. See also transgender.
Other words from transsexual
- trans·sex·u·al·i·ty [trans-sek-shoo-al-i-tee, -seks-yoo-]; /trænsˌsɛk ʃuˈæl ɪ ti, -ˈsɛks yu-/; trans·sex·u·al·ism, noun
- Compare cissexual, transgender.
Words Nearby transsexual
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use transsexual in a sentence
López has endorsed domestic partnerships for same-sex couples and has claimed he would hire a “transsexual” if they were the best person for the job.
Peruvian capital’s mayor-elect raises eyebrows among LGBTQ activists | Jacob Kessler | October 21, 2022 | Washington BladeAnd the media, meanwhile, has referred to her as every label under the sun, from “a man” to “transsexual.”
Exclusive: Michael Phelps’s Intersex Self-Proclaimed Girlfriend, Taylor Lianne Chandler, Tells All | Aurora Snow | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTSDating.com, a worldwide transsexual-dating site that is also used for escorts, has come in for special attention, said Bakeer.
Al-Sisi’s Egypt Is Worse For Gays Than The Muslim Brotherhood | Bel Trew | June 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith a little luck, you could become the first transsexual martyr!
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview | Alex Belth | February 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe term “transsexual” tends to be used less often by younger generations of trans persons.
What Each of Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means | Debby Herbenick PhD, Aleta Baldwin | February 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If a transsexual man as bearded, muscled, and tattooed as I am went into the ladies room, the women would all scream!
Show Me Your Papers Before You Pee? It Could Happen in Arizona | Tricia Romano | March 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for transsexual
transexual
/ (trænzˈsɛksjʊəl) /
a person who permanently acts the part of and completely identifies with the opposite sex
a person who has undergone medical and surgical procedures to alter external sexual characteristics to those of the opposite sex
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse