neopronoun

[nee-oh-proh-noun]

noun

1. a type of gender-neutral pronoun, coined after 1800, and used especially by nonbinary and genderqueer people, as in English ze/hir/hirs, e/em/eirs, or xe/xem/xyrs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of neopronoun¹

First recorded in 1985–90; neo- ( def. ) + pronoun ( def. )

Example Sentences

They are not widely used and are unfamiliar to many people, but they do offer the benefit of grammatical clarity; unlike “they” as a singular personal pronoun, observers probably wouldn’t confuse a neopronoun with references to other people or things in verbal or written passages.

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