single-sex

American  

[sing-guhl-seks] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˌsɛks /

adjective

1. designated for, pertaining to, or serving only males or only females.

   a single-sex college.

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single-sex British  

adjective

1. (of schools, etc) admitting members of one sex only; not coeducational

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Etymology

Origin of single-sex

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Ministers accepted the outcome of the ruling and updated guidance on single-sex spaces.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

"It said if you have established that it is lawful to require a single-sex space, then it will be proportionate" to exclude all people of a different biological sex, Foran says.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Under 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. 3, 2025

As a row grew, the writer was accused of being transphobic, which she denied, saying she was worried about the effect on women in single-sex spaces.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

“Studies show that in single-sex schools, girls take more nontraditional courses like advanced science. They worry less about how they look, they’re more competitive, and they have higher self-esteem.”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart