assigned sex

American  

[uh-sahynd seks] / əˈsaɪnd ˈsɛks /

noun

1. a baby’s sex as determined or assigned based on the appearance of external reproductive organs and, sometimes, chromosomal testing.

   One's gender identity is not necessarily congruent with one's assigned sex.

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Sensitive Note

See sex reassignment surgery.

Etymology

Origin of assigned sex

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assigned sex

She was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or distress caused when gender identity doesn’t match a person’s assigned sex.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2024

The 96-page guide also explains that doctors “assign” a baby’s sex at birth, but that for some, “that assigned sex doesn’t match who they know they are inside.”

From Washington Times ● Dec. 7, 2022

Transgender is an umbrella category that emerged in the U.S. in the 1990s to encompass diverse gender identities that don't fully correspond with an individual's assigned sex at birth.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2022

“Being transgender is not a disability,” the court wrote in an opinion issued Tuesday, but “many transgender people experience gender dysphoria,” or distress over the discrepancy between their identity and their assigned sex.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 17, 2022

Transgender people are often uncomfortable being asked their assigned sex at birth, and nonbinary scientists we know often prefer not to disclose it.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 30, 2021