female-to-male

[fee-meyl-tuh-meyl]

adjective

1. Sometimes Offensive.,  noting or relating to a person who was assigned female at birth but whose gender identity or gender expression is male.

noun

1. Sometimes Offensive.,  a person who was assigned female at birth but whose gender identity or gender expression is male. FTM, FtM

Sensitive Note

Female-to-male was once the accepted terminology for men who were assigned female at birth. The term continues to be used in medical literature, and some transgender people do identify that way. Especially among younger transgender people, however, trans man is now a more popular term for this demographic. For some people, the term female-to-male can be offensive for its implication that trans men were “originally” female, and have only now become male.

Word History and Origins

Origin of female-to-male¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

This slide left the female-to-male earnings ratio at 81% in 2024, compared with 83% a year earlier, among people who worked full time and year round.

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Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and scleroderma are examples of autoimmune disorders marked by lopsided female-to-male ratios.

Read more on Science Daily

Female-to-male boxers would need to declare their gender identity is male and undergo gender-reassignment surgery, followed by four years of hormone testing.

Read more on Washington Times

Other issues for female-to-male detransitioners include vaginal atrophy and dryness, pain from bone-density complications, higher risk of cardiovascular disease and unwanted facial and body hair that requires them to keep shaving even after stopping testosterone and starting estrogen.

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Levine, who reportedly transitioned from male to female in 2011, also discussed gender-transition procedures with female-to-male transgender musician Ryan Cassata, now 29, who underwent a breast removal, or “top surgery,” at age 18.

Read more on Washington Times