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• cis
  cis

  adjective

  cisgender or cissexual.
• cis-
  cis-

  a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin meaning “on the near side of; on this side of” (cisalpine ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (cisatlantic ).
• C.I.S.
  C.I.S.

  abbreviation

  Commonwealth of Independent States.
• CIS
  CIS

  abbreviation

  Commonwealth of Independent States

cis

¹ American  

[sis] / sɪs /

adjective

1. cisgender or cissexual.

   He may not be macho, but he's definitely a cis male.

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noun

1. a person who is cisgender or cissexual.

cis- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin meaning “on the near side of; on this side of” (cisalpine ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (cisatlantic ).

2. Chemistry. a specialization of this denoting a geometric isomer having a pair of identical atoms or groups attached on the same side of two atoms linked by a double bond.

3. a prefix meaning “on the same side of,” referring to the alignment of one’s gender identity with one’s sex assigned at birth (cisgender; cissexual ).

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C.I.S. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Commonwealth of Independent States.

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cis- ¹ British  

prefix

1. on this or the near side of

   cisalpine

2. (often in italics) indicating that two groups of atoms in an unsaturated compound lie on the same side of a double bond Compare trans-

   cis-butadiene

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CIS ² British  

abbreviation

1. Commonwealth of Independent States

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Sensitive Note

See trans, gender ¹.

Usage

What does cis mean? Cis is short for cissexual or, more commonly, cisgender, which refers to someone's gender identity that corresponds to their sex as assigned at birth. Cisgender is the opposite of transgender.

Etymology

Origin of cis¹

By shortening

Origin of cis-²

From Latin cis (adverb and preposition) “on this side, on this side of, within”

Example Sentences

"We can't say that GLP-1s are actually causing these symptoms," says Neil Sehgal, the study's first author and a doctoral student in CIS advised by Guntuku and Ungar.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

Risks, however, include debates on the durability of the company’s CIS growth and how it can remain competitive against hyperscalers.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Some companies import European cheese to Belarus or other CIS countries, where the label is swapped so that it can be sold legally in Russian shops.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024

Gusakov, who joined Extreme in 2010, according to a profile published on the company’s website, retained his title as regional manager for the CIS, a group of former Soviet republics.

From Reuters • Jun. 28, 2023

Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS country to be accepted   into the World Trade Organization.

From The 2006 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency