ongeslacht

Ongeslacht is a Dutch term that literally means without sex. In biological and philosophical texts it is used to describe conditions or organisms that lack distinct sexual differentiation, or that reproduce without sexual fertilization.

The word derives from onge- (not) and geslacht (sex, gender, or, in biology, a sexual form of a species). In older Dutch writings it could denote a state in which sex could not be discerned or was not relevant.

Today the term is rarely used in scientific writing, which more often distinguishes sexes or uses terms such as asexueel or ongeslachtelijk voortplanting (asexual reproduction). When it appears, ongeslacht often carries archaic or descriptive nuance rather than precise scientific status.

In cultural or gender studies, the word may appear in historical discussions about classifications of beings or about language, but it is not a standard term for contemporary discussions of gender identity. For modern discussions, terms such as niet-binair or genderqueer are usually preferred.