What does degender mean?
Degender is a relatively modern English verb meaning to remove gender distinctions from something — whether that something is language, clothing, institutions, laws, or social roles. Formed by attaching the reversing prefix de- to the word gender, it describes deliberate efforts to make things neutral with respect to sex or gender identity: rewriting job advertisements so they appeal to all candidates, redesigning uniforms, or replacing gendered terms in official documents. The word appears most often in academic, journalistic, and advocacy contexts, where debates about inclusive language take place, and it retains a slightly technical or ideological flavor rather than everyday familiarity. It derives from the Latin root genus, the same source that gave English generate, generic, and genetic. While still uncommon compared with its base word, degender captures concisely an idea that would otherwise require a phrase — making something no longer gender-specific — which accounts for its growing use in writing about equality and language reform.
verbTo remove or eliminate gender distinctions from something, such as language, institutions, or roles.
- To remove gender distinctions from language, roles, policies, or spaces.
"The committee voted to degender the job descriptions so that all roles would appeal to applicants of any background."
"Advocates pushed to degender the school uniform policy, offering trousers and skirts to every student."
"Modern translations often degender older texts, replacing 'mankind' with 'humankind'."
Built from the same Latin root as 'gene' and 'generate', degender literally means to un-create the categories it targets — language engineering at the level of the word itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of degender
Degender is formed within English from the prefix de-, indicating removal or reversal, combined with gender. Gender itself comes via Old French gendre from Latin genus, genitis, meaning 'birth, kind, or class' — the same root behind generate, generic, genetic, and congenital. The compound verb arose in the late twentieth century as discussions of gender-neutral language and policy became widespread in English-speaking public life.
How degender is actually used
Relatively rare and largely confined to formal, academic, or activist writing on gender and language. The prefix de- marks reversal, so the word carries an implication that the thing being described was previously gendered.
Easily confused with degender
Engender means to cause or bring into existence, while degender means to remove gender from something.
Gender is a noun referring to the social categories of male and female (or grammatical class), whereas degender is a verb meaning to strip such distinctions away.