Term	Definition
Affirmed gender	When one's gender identity is validated by others as authentic
Agender	Person who identifies as genderless or outside the gender continuum
Cisgender	Not transgender; a person whose gender identity and/or expression aligns with their sex assigned at birth
Cross dressing	Wearing of clothes typically associated with another gender; the term transvestite can be considered pejorative and should not be used
Cultural humility	Concept of not projecting one's own personal experiences and preconceptions of identity onto the experiences and identities of others
Differences of sex development	Congenital conditions characterized by nuanced chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomic sex development (e.g., congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen insensitivity syndrome, Turner syndrome); not a universally accepted term; also called disorders of sex development or intersex
Gender	Societal perception of maleness or femaleness
Genderqueer	Umbrella term for a broad range of identities along or outside the gender continuum; also called gender nonbinary
Gender diverse*	General term describing gender behaviors, expressions, or identities that are not congruent with those culturally assigned at birth; may include transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, gender fluid, or non-cisgender identitites and may be more dynamic and less stigmatizing than prior terminology (e.g., gender nonconforming); this term is not used as a clinical diagnosis^A1
Gender dysphoria	Distress or impairment resulting from incongruence between one's experienced or expressed gender and sex assigned at birth; DSM-5 criteria for adults include at least six months of distress or problems functioning due to at least two of the following: Marked incongruence between one's experienced or expressed gender and primary and/or secondary sex characteristics Strong desire to be rid of one's primary and/or secondary sex characteristics Strong desire for the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other gender Strong desire to be of the other gender Strong desire to be treated as the other gender Strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender
Gender expression	External display of gender identity through appearance (e.g., clothing, hairstyle), behavior, voice, or interests
Gender identity	Internalized sense of self as being male, female, or elsewhere along or outside the gender continuum; some persons have complex identities and may identify as agender, gender nonbinary, genderqueer, or gender fluid
Gender identity disorder	Diagnosis related to gender dysphoria or gender incongruence in earlier versions of the DSM and ICD
Gender incongruence*	General term describing a difference between gender identity and/or expression and designated sex; an ICD-11 diagnosis that does not require a mental health diagnosis
Sex	Maleness or femaleness as it relates to sex chromosomes, gonads, genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, and relative levels of sex hormones; these biologic determinants may not necessarily be consistent; sex assigned at birth is typically based on genital anatomy
Sexual orientation	Term describing an enduring physical and emotional attraction to another group; sexual orientation is distinct from gender identity and is defined by the individual
They/them	Neutral pronouns preferred by some transgender persons
Transgender* Transgender female Transgender male	General term used to describe persons whose gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth A transgender person designated as male at birth A transgender person designated as female at birth
Transfeminine	Nonbinary term used to describe a feminine spectrum of gender identity
Transmasculine	Nonbinary term used to describe a masculine spectrum of gender identity
Transphobia	Prejudicial attitudes about persons who are not cisgender
Transsexual	Historical term for transgender persons seeking medical or surgial therapy to affirm their gender