third gender

American  

[thurd jen-der] / ˈθɜrd ˈdʒɛn dər /

noun

1. Anthropology. any of various gender classifications in societies that recognize a gender other than male or female.

2. a person who identifies as a gender other than male or female or as neither male nor female.

---

adjective

1. being or relating to a person who belongs to a gender classification or identifies as a gender other than male or female.

Etymology

Origin of third gender

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In 2014, India's Supreme Court recognised transgender people as a "third gender" and affirmed their right to self-identify.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Rongen also had to heal with the trauma surrounding defender Jaiyah Saelua, a fa’afafine, or third gender, in Polynesian society.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2023

For centuries Mexico's indigenous Zapotec people have recognized a third sex known as "muxes," a third gender that includes both masculine and feminine traits.

From Salon • May 22, 2023

A landmark Supreme Court ruling designates transgender people as a third gender, acknowledging that they identify as neither male nor female.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2022

Malta and Nepal join the list of countries offering their citizens the choice of an official third gender.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater