opposite sex

American  

[op-uh-zit seks, op-uh-sit] / ˈɒp ə zɪt ˈsɛks, ˈɒp ə sɪt /

noun

1. Often the opposite sex women in reference to men or men in reference to women.

   Do you have many friends of the opposite sex?

---

adjective

1. Usually opposite-sex of or relating to two or more persons of different genders: Opposite-sex marriage is more normalized than same-sex marriage.

   The study is about relationships between children and their opposite-sex parents.

   Opposite-sex marriage is more normalized than same-sex marriage.

opposite sex British  

noun

1. women in relation to men or men in relation to women

---

Usage

The phrase opposite sex relies on an assumption that men and women are indeed opposites. This upholds a binary view of gender, and also usually conflates sex and gender, both of which may be considered controversial. A less binary version of the phrase is other genders.

Etymology

Origin of opposite sex

First recorded in 1710–30

Example Sentences

My female students at the University of Virginia are worried about the state of the opposite sex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

In UK law, the 2010 Equality Act sets out the rules for single sex organisations and spaces being able to exclude members of the opposite sex.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

But statutes forced people to live in the sex they were assigned at birth by, for instance, barring them from dressing as the opposite sex.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2025

Dr. Cass also recommended that testosterone and estrogen, which allow young people to develop the physical characteristics of the opposite sex, be prescribed with “extreme caution.”

From New York Times • May 13, 2024

They wanted us to go to dances and parties that included members of the opposite sex.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi