hishers

Hishers is a term used in discussions of gender-inclusive language to describe a proposed set of pronoun forms intended to refer to a person whose gender is unspecified or nonbinary. The term can refer both to the hypothetical pronouns themselves and to the community of speakers who advocate for their use. It remains a fringe concept with no widely accepted standard.

Origins and context: Hishers has appeared primarily in online discussions and experimental writing dating from the 2010s onward. Because no consensus exists, variations in spelling, capitalization, and grammatical role have emerged. Some proposals imagine "hisher" as a base possessive determiner and "hishers" as a corresponding pronoun, while others suggest different realizations; there is no official orthography or grammar.

Usage and reception: In practice, hishers has limited visibility outside of niche forums. Most style guides and linguistic authorities do not recognize it as a standard option, and many writers recommend more established neutral pronouns such as they/them or widely used neopronouns. Advocates argue that hishers can offer a clear singular referent without gender assumptions, while critics warn that lack of standardization may create ambiguity and hinder comprehension. In fiction or experimental contexts, some authors have used hishers for stylistic purposes.

See also: gender-neutral pronouns, inclusive language, neopronouns, singular they.