genderless

IPA/ˈdʒendələs/
IPA/ˈdʒendərləs/

genderless — adjective

  • genderlesspositive
  • more genderlesscomparative
  • most genderlesssuperlative

1. used to describe someone whose sense of self does not include any gender, or som

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe someone whose sense of self does not include any gender, or something that is not connected to a particular gender category

Example

Adina describes themself as genderless and uses they/them pronouns.

describes a person who does not identify with any gender

Elena bought a genderless jacket from the unisex section of the store.

modifies clothing items

Common collocations
  • genderless society
  • genderless clothing
  • genderless language
  • genderless restroom
  • genderless identity
Synonyms
  • gender-neutral

    Both mean not tied to a specific gender, but 'gender-neutral' often focuses on fairness and inclusion (e.g., policy), while 'genderless' more directly describes the absence of gender.

  • unisex

    Used for things meant for both sexes (e.g., clothing, bathrooms), but does not apply to a person's identity as 'genderless' does.

  • androgynous

    Describes a blend of masculine and feminine qualities, whereas 'genderless' means neither is present or relevant.

Antonyms
  • gendered

    Refers to something clearly marked as male, female, or another specific gender.

Usage Note

Unlike 'unisex', which means designed for or shared by both men and women, 'genderless' suggests a complete absence of gender categories. The word can apply to a person's identity, to styles of clothing, or to language that avoids gender-specific terms.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Genderless, gender-neutral, unisex, and androgynous all relate to the absence or blending of gender categories, but differ in scope and use. Genderless is the broadest — it can describe a person who does not identify with any gender, as well as objects or language with no connection to gender. Gender-neutral overlaps in meaning but often carries an emphasis on fairness and inclusion, especially in policy or institutional contexts (e.g., gender-neutral bathrooms, gender-neutral language). Unisex is narrower: it refers specifically to things designed for or shared by both men and women (e.g., unisex haircuts, unisex clothing) and never applies to a person's identity. Androgynous describes a combination of masculine and feminine traits, whereas genderless implies the absence of both. For example, a genderless character in a novel simply has no specified gender, while an androgynous character intentionally mixes qualities of both.

genderless ↗gender-neutralunisexandrogynous

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglishOld English

The word 'gender' comes from Latin 'genus' (kind or type), which passed into Old French as 'gendre' and then into English. The suffix '-less' comes from Old English '-leas', meaning 'without'. So 'genderless' literally means 'without gender'.

First known use

1840

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 3b