intersex

1 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​sex ˈin-tər-ˌseks How to pronounce intersex (audio)
1
: an individual having the condition of intersexuality
2

intersex

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to intersexuality
intersex conditions
also : exhibiting intersexuality
an intersex individual

Examples of intersex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As an intersex character, Ponyboi struggles with living in a world asking him to choose within the binary. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024 Dramatic Competition and written by Gallo, its intersex lead who uses they/them pronouns, Ponyboi revises the crime drama by putting forward an unconventional protagonist with a lot of heart and a little humor. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024 There’s never been a feature film starring an intersex performer as a lead intersex character…not to mention writer! Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024 These laws do not restrict such treatments for cisgender or intersex youth. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 28 Dec. 2023 The film follows Larry Benson (Dominic Bogart) who is born intersex in the deep south in 1941. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Dec. 2023 The Lombard girls were born with a genetic disorder that left them intersex and with failing kidneys. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 According to the film, experts estimate that 1.7 percent of the population has some intersex traits, with 0.7 percent having enough of them to be referred for surgery. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 27 June 2023 It's estimated that 1.7% have intersex traits, and 0.07% are recommended to have surgical intervention. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Two intersex people in South Africa — one a beauty queen, another an activist — share their unique experiences in director Tunde Skovran’s film, executive produced by Patricia Arquette. Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2023 The main interview subjects are three intersex people whose stories are at times traumatic. Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023 At Cinemark Legacy and AMC Grapevine Mills. (B+) EVERY BODY This documentary tells the stories of three intersex people who overcame childhoods marked by shame, secrecy and nonconsensual surgeries. Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 29 June 2023 That, in turn, led to South Africa, where in the early 2010s, a roiling debate took shape over the case of Caster Semenya, an intersex woman and Olympic gold medal-winning track star whose success had come under scrutiny because of her elevated testosterone levels. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Mar. 2023 Kansas House members included provisions requiring accommodations for some intersex people born with chromosomes, genitalia, or reproductive organs not associated with typical definitions for males or females. John Hanna, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Apr. 2023 Individuals who are intersex, for example, can have external genitalia and internal genitalia that differ, and individuals with genetic syndromes can have an extra X or Y chromosome. Allison Whitten, Discover Magazine, 23 July 2020 The question immediately arose: Should the actor playing Sasha be intersex? Trinidad Barleycorn, Variety, 9 Sep. 2022 While both lawsuits and policy efforts are underway to ameliorate the conditions for transgender, non-binary and intersex people behind bars, advocates say lives are at stake. Nora Neus, Cnn video By Lacey Russell, CNN, 23 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intersex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from German Intersex, probably back-formation from intersexuell intersexual

Note: Intersex was introduced by the German biologist Richard Goldschmidt (1878-1958) in "Vorläufige Mitteilung über weitere Versuche zur Vererbung und Bestimmung des Geschlechts," Biologisches Centralblatt, 53. Band, No. 12 (20. Dezember 1915) pp. 565-70. Goldschmidt used the word in English in a translation of this article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 2, no. 1 (January 15, 1916), pp. 53-58 ("A Preliminary Report on Further Experiments in Inheritance and Determination of Sex").

Adjective

from attributive use of intersex entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intersex was circa 1908

Dictionary Entries Near intersex

Cite this Entry

“Intersex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersex. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

intersex

noun
in·​ter·​sex ˈint-ər-ˌseks How to pronounce intersex (audio)
: an individual that is intermediate in sexual characters between a typical male and a typical female

Medical Definition

intersex

1 of 2 noun
in·​ter·​sex
ˈint-ər-ˌseks
1
: an individual having the condition of intersexuality
2

intersex

2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to intersexuality
intersex conditions
also : exhibiting intersexuality
an intersex individual
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!