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 trans man.

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

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

From 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.

From 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.

From Washington Times

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.

From Washington Times

A now-viral video showed TikTok influencer Rose Montoya, a male-to-female transgender activist, jiggling her breasts as she covered them with her hands alongside at least two female-to-male transgender attendees who took off their shirts to display their mastectomy scars.

From Washington Times