sex assignment

[ seks uh-sahyn-muhnt ]

noun

1. the determination or assignment of a baby’s sex, based on the appearance of external reproductive organs, and, sometimes, chromosomal testing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sex assignment¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

First appearing in 1779, sex-assignment surgeries became increasingly popular from the nineteenth century onward.

From The Daily Beast