sexual dimorphism

American

noun

the condition in which the males and females in a species are morphologically different, as with many birds.

sexual dimorphism British

noun

biology differences in appearance between the males and females of a species

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

sexually dimorphic adjective

Etymology

Origin of sexual dimorphism

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brain cells and heart tissue cells likewise offer good examples of cell-level differences in addition to other levels at which sexual dimorphism makes male and female brains and hearts different, Ahmed noted.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2025

Differences in cancer incidence and progression between men and women have been known for decades, but a detailed understanding of sexual dimorphism in relation to cancer biology is still limited.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

Many stick insects display extreme sexual dimorphism, with females unrecognizable from their male companions.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2020

Unbeknownst to our K. cushmani, this gender difference in body shape — known as sexual dimorphism — marked him and his kind for failure.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2018

Dimorphism, the appearance of the same species in two different forms, sexual dimorphism, 122, 124.

From The Biological Problem of To-day Preformation Or Epigenesis? The Basis of a Theory of Organic Development by Hertwig, Oscar

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023