gender dysphoria

[jen-der dis-fawr-ee-uh]

noun

1. a psychological condition marked by significant emotional distress and impairment in life functioning, caused by a lack of congruence between gender identity and sex assigned at birth.

gender dysphoria

noun

1. a condition in which a person feels uncertainty or anxiety about his or her birth gender

Sensitive Note

Some transgender individuals and their advocates object to the use of the word "disorder" to describe this condition and therefore reject use of the variant term gender identity disorder, which was once used more widely. However, others feel that classifying it as a disorder may facilitate access to medical care related to the condition.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gender dysphoria¹

First recorded in 1970–75