transvestite
transvestite Lexical Profile
transvestite Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who wears clothing traditionally associated with a sex other than their own; a cross-dresser (now often considered dated or offensive).
"Early twentieth-century sociological studies used the term transvestite to describe individuals who practiced cross-dressing."
• adjective
Relating to cross-dressing or to a person who wears clothing traditionally associated with another sex (now often considered dated or offensive).
"The documentary examined the history of transvestite theater roles in seventeenth-century Europe."
Word Nuance & Usage
Originally coined as a neutral clinical term in 1910, 'transvestite' is now widely considered outdated and potentially offensive; 'cross-dresser' is the preferred contemporary term. It should also not be confused with 'transgender', which refers to a person's gender identity rather than the practice of wearing clothing associated with another sex.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1910 by the German physician and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld (as German 'Transvestit'), combining the Latin prefix 'trans-' ('across') and 'vestire' ('to clothe', from 'vestis', meaning 'garment').