Agender - meaning and definition
Alsogenderlessgender neutral identitygender-freenon-gendered
Definition
Describes a person who does not have a gender identity, or who experiences their gender as neutral or absent.
At a glance
- Agender people do not have a gender identity, or experience it as neutral or absent.
- It is generally counted under the non-binary umbrella.
- Being agender says nothing about appearance, body or sexual orientation.
- Some agender people present androgynously, and many do not.
In detail
Agender people often say that the concept of gender does not apply to them in the way it seems to apply to others. It is generally counted under the non-binary umbrella.
Being agender says nothing about someone's appearance, body or sexual orientation. Some agender people present androgynously, and others do not change how they look at all.
In a sentence
- I'm agender, so questions about feeling like a man or a woman just don't fit me.
- Kai came out as agender and asked us to use their name more than pronouns.
Where the word comes from
Agender combines the prefix a-, meaning without, with gender. It spread mainly through online communities in the 2000s and 2010s.
Not to be confused with
- Asexual
Asexual describes little or no sexual attraction; agender describes having no gender identity.
Common questions
Is agender the same as asexual?
No. Agender is about gender identity. Asexual is a sexual orientation describing little or no sexual attraction. An agender person can have any orientation, and an asexual person can have any gender.
What pronouns do agender people use?
It varies. Many use they/them, some use neopronouns, and some use she or he. The only way to know is to ask or follow what the person shares.