cisgender

Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a person assigned female at birth who identifies as a woman is cisgender. The term is commonly used as a counterpart to transgender, which describes someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. Using cisgender clarifies discussions about gender identity separate from sexual orientation and helps describe experiences across different groups.

Etymology and usage: Cis is a Latin-derived prefix meaning “on the same side,” while trans means “on the other side” or “across.” The term cisgender emerged in gender studies and LGBTQ+ discourse in the late 20th century and gained broader use in the 2000s and 2010s to describe a specific alignment between sex assigned at birth and gender identity. It is typically used in academic, clinical, and policy contexts as a neutral descriptor.

In discourse and research, cisgender is used to describe populations in studies of gender, health, and social experiences. It is not a medical category, and not everyone uses or accepts the term. Some people prefer to describe themselves solely by their gender identity without applying a label, or may use different terms to express their experiences. Critics argue that the term can reinforce binary understandings of gender or imply a default norm, while supporters view it as a necessary term to discuss privilege, normalization, and social structures affecting lived experiences.