intersex
intersex Lexical Profile
intersex Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Born with reproductive or sexual anatomy, chromosomes, or hormone levels that do not fit the typical binary definitions of male or female.
"The organization advocates for the human rights and bodily autonomy of intersex children."
Occurring between or involving individuals of different sexes.
"The behavioral study examined intersex competition for foraging territories among the birds."
• noun
The biological state or condition of having physical sex characteristics, chromosomes, or hormones that vary from typical male or female development.
"Medical curricula have recently expanded their coverage of intersex and natural variations in human sex development."
An individual organism, especially an animal or plant, possessing both male and female sexual characteristics or organs intermediate between the typical sexes.
"Geneticists observed that certain chromosomal crosses in fruit flies frequently produced sterile intersexes."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage concerning humans, 'intersex' is strongly preferred as an adjective (e.g., 'an intersex person') rather than a standalone noun, and it has superseded the term 'hermaphrodite,' which is considered clinically inaccurate and stigmatizing when applied to people.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1916 by German-born geneticist Richard Goldschmidt as a translation of German 'Intersex,' formed from the Latin prefix 'inter-' ('between') and 'sexus' ('sex').