Oxford English Dictionary Adds 15 New Transgender And Nonbinary Terms To Online Dictionary


We who love linguistics know one thing: when a word is added to the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s officially a recognized part of the English language.

From LifeOutsideTheBinary:

Oxford Dictionary just added a lot of  important trans and nonbinary terminology to its online dictionary, OxfordDictionaries.com. The following terms are now officially defined in US English:

Agender, Bi-gender, Cisgender, Cissexism, FTM, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity, Gender-fluid, Genderqueer, Misgender, MTF, Mx, Nonbinary,Transman, Transperson, Transphobia, and Transwoman!

tumblr_ntvho8PAsV1txy8u3o1_1280 tumblr_ntvho8PAsV1txy8u3o2_1280 tumblr_ntvho8PAsV1txy8u3o3_1280 tumblr_ntvho8PAsV1txy8u3o4_1280

Other issues noted by LifeOutsideTheBinary:

Life Outside The Binary does not necessarily endorse the particular definitions nor the wording therein. Many of these definitions may be overly simplistic or use outdated terminology. It is certainly more important to understand each individual’s understanding and relationship to a given term, and to understand their history and social context, rather than to differ to a broad general definition. There are also many other important words (such as transmisogyny, binarism and other identities such as neutrois and androgyne) that definitely deserve inclusion in dictionaries.

As noted by another Tumblr user, “now people can stop saying these aren’t real words.”

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.