What does "bigenderism" mean?

The theory that society enforces a strict male-female gender binary, privileges masculinity and maleness over femininity and femaleness, and (when the theory is strictly construed) limits gender to a direct correspondence with assigned sex at birth.

Bigenderism

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
The theory that society enforces a strict male-female gender binary, privileges masculinity and maleness over femininity and femaleness, and (when the theory is strictly construed) limits gender to a direct correspondence with assigned sex at birth. uncountable
"Understanding bigenderism may offer insight into the specific challenges faced by nonbinary people."
2
The state of being bigender; the state of having two (or multiple) genders simultaneously. uncountable
"I find that bigenderism best describes my gender identity and pansexuality is a good descriptor for my sexual orientation."

Example

More examples

"Understanding bigenderism may offer insight into the specific challenges faced by nonbinary people."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From bi- + genderism; modelled on heterosexism. Coined in 2003.

Etymology 2

From bigender + -ism.

More for "bigenderism"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.