intersex

American  

[in-ter-seks] / ˈɪn tərˌsɛks /

adjective

1. noting or relating to a person, animal, or plant having reproductive organs, genitals, hormones, or chromosomal patterns that do not fall under typical definitions of male and female; intersexual.

   The counselor often talks about his experience as an intersex person.

   All clownfish are intersex.

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noun

1. Sometimes Offensive. a person, animal, or plant having reproductive organs, genitals, hormones, or chromosomal patterns that do not fall under typical definitions of male and female.

2. Also called intersexuality.  the state of having genitals, reproductive organs, hormones, or chromosomal patterns that do not fall under typical definitions of male and female.

   It's important to talk openly about intersex in order to reduce stigma.

intersex British  

/ ˈɪntəˌsɛks /

noun

1. the condition of having characteristics intermediate between those of a male and a female

2. an individual, esp a person, exhibiting such physiological characteristics Compare gynandromorph hermaphrodite hermaphrodite

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Sensitive Note

Intersex is a broad label describing variations in sex characteristics that do not fit into the male-female binary. Like anyone else, a person with any of these characteristics may identify as a man, a woman, or any other gender. Furthermore, a person's sex characteristics may or may not influence their gender or their relationship with their gender. Different people may also prefer different terminology. Terms like disorders of sex development, differences of sex development or variations in sex characteristics are somewhat more common in medical contexts compared to the older term intersex condition, and some people prefer to use them to discuss their personal experiences. Others, however, do prefer the term intersex, especially when talking about the people with these conditions rather than the specific medical conditions themselves: Intersex activists recently won a victory with a ruling against infant genital surgeries. This book about intersex experiences is by an intersex person. The use of intersex as a noun (e.g., an intersex ) rather than an adjective (e.g., an intersex person ) when describing someone who has a difference of sex development is often considered offensive. The older term hermaphrodite is extremely offensive except when used in self-reference. As with most identity labels, it is best to ask for an individual person's preference when referring to them. See gender ¹ ( def. ). See also sex ¹ ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of intersex

First recorded in 1915–20; back formation from intersexual

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intersex

"It defines the female sex without taking into account the biological specificities of intersex individuals, whose sexual characteristics present natural variations, leading to a reductive and potentially stigmatising approach," ⁠claimed French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

Trying to find a cause or cure for, say, intersex conditions does not mean that people who are intersex are less worthy than those who are not.

From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2025

“Intersex people in the U.S. are extremely worried” that they will become bigger targets, said Sylvan Fraser Anthony, legal and policy director at the intersex advocacy group InterACT.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2025

The doc shows the bones of what made Gallo who they are without symbols, just the raw facts of how their intersex identity shaped them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025

My psychological makeup doesn’t accord with the essentialism popular in the intersex movement, either.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides