androgyny

American  

[an-droj-uh-nee] / ænˈdrɒdʒ ə ni /

noun

1. the state or quality of being ambiguous, unspecified, or blended in gender; the state of being neither solely masculine nor solely feminine.

   The androgyny in his portraits subverted the expected distinctions between men and women of the Victorian era.

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Etymology

Origin of androgyny

First recorded in 1830–40; androgyne ( def. ) + -y ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

We wouldn’t be drawn to “Labyrinth” all these years later if Bowie hadn’t poured a searing alloy of androgyny and enigmatic intent into a mold and popped out his Goblin King.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

The designer's clothes, as well as her personal visual identity, embraced futuristic beauty looks, bold hair, punk sensibilities, and a strong sense of androgyny.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

Her understated androgyny was paired with a shout-singing vocal style that had a snarly, monotone curl laced with abandon and disregard for convention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

While the flamboyant glam magnetism and androgyny of stars including Alice Cooper, Marc Bolan and David Bowie raised eyebrows at the time, Sylvester’s idiosyncratic aesthetic, vocal prowess and intrepid queerness made him a peerless figure.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023

The relations between the assumed psychical and the demonstrable anatomical androgyny should never be conceived as being so close.

From Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex by Brill, A. A. (Abraham Arden)