transvestite

American  

[trans-ves-tahyt, tranz-] / trænsˈvɛs taɪt, trænz- /

noun

1. Psychiatry. a person, especially someone assigned male at birth, who assumes the dress and manner usually associated with a different gender.

2. Older Use: Often Offensive. crossdresser. TV

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adjective

1. Older Use: Often Offensive. being or relating to a person who wears clothing typically worn by members of a different gender.

transvestite British  

/ trænzˈvɛstaɪt /

noun

1. a person who seeks sexual pleasure from wearing clothes that are normally associated with the opposite sex

2. any cross-dresser See cross-dressing

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transvestite Cultural  

1. Someone who dresses in the clothes usually worn by the opposite sex. Transvestites may be bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual (see bisexuality, heterosexuality, and homosexuality).

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Other Word Forms

• transvestism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of transvestite

First recorded in 1925–30; from German Transvestit; see transvestism, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

How does transvestite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• drag queen vs. transvestite

Explanation

A man who identifies himself as a transvestite likes to wear clothing that is typically thought of as feminine or womanly. You can also use the word transvestite to talk about a woman who enjoys wearing men's clothes, although it more frequently describes a man. Before you call anyone a transvestite, however, make sure the person doesn't consider the word offensive — it's more common these days to use the term cross-dresser.

Example Sentences

The song Sweet Transvestite has been described as the first big, glam-rock aria of the musical, and is the audience's introduction to Dr Frank-N-Furter.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

By the time Camicia met Marsha in the early 70s, she had already played a key part in the 1969 Stonewall uprising and was leading the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries with her friend Sylvia Rivera.

From The Guardian • Mar. 8, 2020

At the same time, trans activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson launched the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, an organization that provided mentorship and shelter for homeless trans kids.

From Slate • Nov. 25, 2019

There are also a few other well-worn responses, like during Sweet Transvestite when Frank takes an inordinately long pause between the syllables “antici” and “pation”, the silence is filled with revelers screaming, “Say it!”

From The Guardian • Oct. 19, 2016

She said last week that Transvestite Barker courted her "as any young man would"; and the Register of Brighton Parish Church reveals that they were married as man and wife on Nov. 14, 1923.

From Time Magazine Archive