Definition

Noun A physical or psychological feature that is strongly associated with one biological sex (male or female) compared to the other. These are traits typically influenced by sex hormones and involved in reproductive functions or sexual differentiation.

Usage

The term "sexual characteristic" is used in biological, psychological, and anthropological contexts to discuss traits that differ between males and females of a species. It is a formal, academic term.

Examples

• Primary sexual characteristics are directly related to the reproductive system, such as ovaries or testes.
• The development of facial hair is a secondary sexual characteristic in human males.
• Researchers studied the sexual characteristics of the bird species to understand mating behaviors.

Advanced Usage

• Primary sexual characteristic: Refers to the reproductive organs themselves (e.g., penis, vagina, ovaries).
• Secondary sexual characteristic: Refers to features that appear during puberty but are not directly part of the reproductive system (e.g., breast development, deepened voice, body hair patterns).

Variants and Related Words

• Sex characteristic: A less common but synonymous variant.
• Sexual dimorphism: (Noun) The condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in their sexual organs.

Synonyms

• Sex-linked trait
• Sex-specific feature

Antonyms

• Non-sexual characteristic
• Neutral trait (in the context of sex differentiation)

Notes

The term is often used in its plural form, "sexual characteristics," as these traits are typically discussed as a group. It is a neutral, descriptive term used in scientific discourse.

Noun

1. those characteristics (both anatomical and psychological) that are strongly associated with one sex relative to the other