WorldAugust 24, 2026

intersex

IN-ter-seks

Definition

Refers to individuals born with physical sex characteristics—such as chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy—that do not fit typical binary definitions of male or female.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin prefix 'inter-' meaning 'between' and the word 'sex,' it emerged in the late 20th century to describe biological variations that fall between traditional male and female classifications.

In the news

The article uses the term to highlight federal policies that refuse to recognize the identities of intersex people in government data collection, part of a broader trend of restrictive state and federal measures.

Ohio BMV removes gender change form, says it’s ‘not compatible’ with state law

Read the full article ↗

Ohio Capital Journal

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.