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.

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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

He did not identify with terms like "third gender".

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

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

Sexual minorities across India have gained a degree of acceptance, especially in big cities, and transgender people were guaranteed equal rights as a third gender in 2014.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2022

Jerry Brown in 2017, making California the second state in the country, after Oregon, to offer a third gender category on licenses or identification cards.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 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