ze

or zie

[ zee ]

pronoun

the person being discussed or last mentioned (used as a neopronoun in place of the gendered pronouns he and she): My friend didn't want to go to the party, but ze got up and danced when hir favorite song came on!
Rare. a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context (used as a neopronoun):If any employee has questions, ze should contact HR.

Origin of ze

First recorded in 1970–75; based on the German pronoun sie

usage note For ze

Gender-neutral pronouns were proposed as far back as the mid-1800s, especially in connection with progressive ideas about women’s rights. More recently, the coinage and use of ze and other gender-neutral pronouns has been motivated by discussions about gender identity. Some individuals, such as nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender-nonconforming people, feel uncomfortable being referred to as he or she. Even so, use of ze as a gender-neutral singular third-person pronoun is quite limited, partly because of a general resistance to replacing English pronouns. Pronouns belong to a small, closed class of words whose membership is relatively fixed. See also they.

How to use ze in a sentence

Sir, your amiable affection for madame leads you to forget, as she does, zie claim of your sister.
Magnum Bonum | Charlotte M. Yonge
Pulling a handkerchief out of my pocket, and showing it to her, I said, “Dit—dit is een zie beneden!”
An Irishman's Difficulties with the Dutch Language | N.A. Cuey-na-Gael
I heard of the medico here inquiring what precise symptom der Englander meant by being “down in zie mout!”
Chantry House | Charlotte M. Yonge
But nothing could make her understand what I meant by Zie-benedens.
An Irishman's Difficulties with the Dutch Language | N.A. Cuey-na-Gael
They had one child, a misshapen thing without arms or legs, which A Zie in great anger killed and cut to pieces.
Myths and Legends of China | E. T. C. Werner

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