trans*

[ trans, tranz, trans-stahr, trans-as-ter-isk, tranz-as‐ ]

adjective

of or relating to people with gender expressions outside traditional norms, as transgender, genderqueer, agender, or nonbinary: important trans* issues;campus groups that welcome trans* students.

noun

Usually Offensive. a person with a gender identity outside traditional gender norms.

Origin of trans*

First recorded in 2000–05; by shortening of transgender

word story For trans*

The asterisk has been used as a wildcard symbol in computing since the late 1960s, and it is this variable meaning that is invoked by the umbrella identity term trans* . Much like the terms transgender and trans , the form trans* is meant to include a range of people, including those who are transgender , agender , bigender , genderqueer , and others who identify outside of traditional gender categories or do not conform to societal gender norms.
The use of the wildcard asterisk is intended to encompass multiple discrete identity labels while also accommodating complex intersectional or overlapping identities. However, many in the trans community prefer the label trans without the asterisk, trans+ , or LGBT+ as an inclusive umbrella term.
Some people find the version with the asterisk to be inaccurate (inclusive of all nonbinary people, whether or not they identify as trans), exclusionary (implying that some people who identify as trans are not trans enough), or offensive (by association with the asterisk convention used in recordkeeping to mark an entry as imperfect or irregular). As with most labels, it is best to respect and adopt the language by which the person in question self-identifies.

usage note For trans*

See trans, transgender.

See also trans+.

Words Nearby trans*

Other definitions for trans (2 of 4)

trans

[ trans, tranz ]

adjective

transgender: Their son is trans.Laura is a trans woman.
(no longer in common use) transsexual.

noun,plural trans·es, (especially collectively) trans.

Usually Offensive. a person who is transgender.

Origin of trans

First recorded in 1970–75; by shortening

usage note For trans

The terms transgender and trans are generally accepted as interchangeable. However, some people prefer the shortened adjective trans to avoid any reference to assigned sex or binary gender in this inclusive identity label.
Many transgender people prefer writing trans compounds as two words, as in trans man, trans woman, and trans person. When so written as an open compound with a space, trans functions as an adjective modifying a noun such as man. Spelling these words as closed or hyphenated compounds, as in transmale and trans-people, loses the distinction between trans as a descriptive adjective and man, woman, or person as a human being. Similarly, cis male and cis female are the preferred spelling of these terms. See also transgender.

See also trans*, trans+.

Other definitions for trans- (3 of 4)

trans-

a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin (transcend; transfix); on this model, used with the meanings “across,” “beyond,” “through,” “changing thoroughly,” “transverse,” in combination with elements of any origin: transisthmian; trans-Siberian; transempirical; transvalue.
Chemistry. a prefix denoting a geometric isomer having a pair of identical atoms or groups on the opposite sides of two atoms linked by a double bond.: Compare cis- (def. 2).

Astronomy. a prefix denoting something farther from the sun (than a given planet): trans-Martian; trans-Neptunian.
a prefix meaning “on the other side of,” referring to the misalignment of one’s gender identity with one's sex assigned at birth: transgender.

Origin of trans-

From Latin, combining form of trāns (adverb and preposition) “across, beyond, through”

Other definitions for trans. (4 of 4)

trans.

abbreviation

transaction.
transfer.

transferred.
transformer.
transit.
transitive.
translated.
translation.
translator.
transparent.
transportation.
transpose.
transverse.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use trans* in a sentence

In one such 2019 diatribe, Bauer made a comment that disparaged and discredited trans and nonbinary people.
Trevor Bauer, unorthodox star with an unorthodox deal, gets an unorthodox Dodgers intro | Chelsea Janes | February 12, 2021 | Washington Post
Casa Ruby CEO Ruby Corado, a trans activist who was born in El Salvador, attended Menjívar’s platform announcement.
Ruby Corado backs transgender Central American Parliament candidate | Michael K. Lavers | February 11, 2021 | Washington Blade
By the time the series reaches its halfway mark, it becomes clear that, while she may well have been culpable in the events that led to the charges against her, she was really being punished for the crime of being trans.
‘The Lady and the Dale’ explores transphobia in 1970s America | John Paul King | February 10, 2021 | Washington Blade
Both cis and trans folks are invited to this creative event, which includes a guided card-making activity.
Calendar: Feb. 12-18 | Philip Van Slooten | February 9, 2021 | Washington Blade
Many trans folks have their own short list of icons and archetypes that they look up to, and so many of those stories have not been told.
'We All Have to Create Our Own Universe.' Producer and Artist Zackary Drucker on Telling Nuanced Trans Stories | Suyin Haynes | February 8, 2021 | Time

In 2011 LGBT media outlet Queerty took the app to task for allegedly deleting accounts that made reference to being trans.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem | David Levesley | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem | David Levesley | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
The digital dating sphere can prove tricky, and bruising, for the trans user.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem | David Levesley | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Like many trans users, Transartist often gets used as a source of information more than anything else.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem | David Levesley | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
We are the sick ones who torment trans people every day of their lives.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism | Arthur Chu | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
A very good quality of tobacco is grown in the trans-Caucasian provinces; it also flourishes well in the Southern provinces.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
This is the route which was provisionally decided on by the great trans-Atlantic companies subsequent to the Titanic disaster.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' | British Government
If the troops in Trans-Caucasia were not much libelled, many of them came from their barracks, in exchange for vodka!
The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
Graham made the first extended investigations in this field: Trans.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2. | Julius Stieglitz
He also informed me that the great trans-Continental telegraph wire was being constructed from north to south.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont | Louis de Rougemont

British Dictionary definitions for trans- (1 of 2)

trans-

prefix

across, beyond, crossing, on the other side: transoceanic; trans-Siberian; transatlantic
changing thoroughly: transliterate

transcending: transubstantiation
transversely: transect
(often in italics) indicating that a chemical compound has a molecular structure in which two groups or atoms are on opposite sides of a double bond: trans-butadiene Compare cis- (def. 2)

Origin of trans-

from Latin trāns across, through, beyond

British Dictionary definitions for trans. (2 of 2)

trans.

abbreviation for

transaction
transferred

transitive
translated
translator

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

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