Definition

1. Noun:
   • A classification system for nouns and pronouns: In grammar, "gender" refers to a category that affects word forms, particularly in languages with grammatical gender. It often influences agreement with adjectives, articles, and verbs.
   • The state of being male or female: More broadly, "gender" refers to the social, cultural, and psychological traits, roles, and identities associated with being male, female, or another identity, often distinguished from biological sex.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Grammatical):

  • In French, the word "table" is of feminine gender.
  • The adjective must agree with the noun in number and gender.

• Noun (Social/Cultural):

  • The study explores the relationship between gender and leadership styles.
  • Society's expectations based on gender are evolving.

Advanced Usage

• "Gender identity": A person's internal, deeply held sense of their own gender.

  • Respecting an individual's gender identity is fundamental.

• "Gender roles": The behaviors, activities, and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men and women.

  • Traditional gender roles are being challenged in many cultures.

• "Gender-neutral": Not specific to or biased towards a particular gender.

  • The company adopted a gender-neutral dress code.

Variants and Related Words

• Gendered (adj): Characterized by or emphasizing distinctions associated with gender.

  • The advertisement was criticized for its gendered language.

• Genderize (verb, less common): To assign or attribute gender to.

  • There is a tendency to genderize certain professions.

Synonyms

• Sex (Note: Often used specifically for biological distinctions, whereas "gender" is more often used for sociocultural aspects).
• Classification (in the grammatical sense).

Related Phrases

• "Gender gap": A disparity between genders, often in areas like pay or representation.

  • The gender gap in STEM fields is a persistent issue.

• "Gender equality": The state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender.

  • The organization is committed to promoting gender equality.

Related Idioms

• "Gender bender" (informal): A person who dresses and behaves in a way characteristic of the opposite sex, or something that challenges traditional gender roles.
  • The performer was known as a gender bender in the 1980s music scene.

Noun

1. the properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles
   • she didn't want to know the sex of the foetus
2. a grammatical category in inflected languages governing the agreement between nouns and pronouns and adjectives; in some languages it is quite arbitrary but in Indo-European languages it is usually based on sex or animateness