gender expression
noun
: the physical and behavioral manifestations of one's gender identity
People vary greatly in the extent to which they hold and convey gendered thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Gender expression refers to the way people convey their gender through mannerisms, behaviors, or expressions.—
Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise PsychologyFor most people, … gender expression occurs so naturally it's unnoticeable. Except when gender expression doesn't match traditional notions of the gender assigned at birth.—Will Dean
Will DeanExamples of gender expression in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Independent, gun-toting women were prominent on the rugged frontier, as was cross-dressing and expansive gender expression.
—Orion Rummler, Them, 8 July 2024
As a trans non-binary person, Reeve always loved using makeup to play with gender expression.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 27 June 2024
Our language holds space for a lot of things that colonizing bodies do not like, gender expression being one of them, and roles in society, a sense of self in relation to a community.
—Tomris Laffly, IndieWire, 20 June 2024
About one in five trans and nonbinary people who had looked for housing in the last five years believed they had been rejected because of their gender expression.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
The facility prioritizes an inclusive, accessible environment for people of all body types and gender expressions, which starts with reading a social contract on how to show up in the gym during your first visit.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024
But these scenes are an intensified version of an all-too-real dynamic — not unlike how drag reveals the absurdity of typical gender expression by cranking it up to 11.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 May 2024
Mom supported female gender expression Lugo had an affinity for the feminine since childhood, his family shared.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
Its models — scouted by Stephanie Francis, the project’s co-director and designer — strike vulnerable, yet confident poses, revealing how cancer has transformed their bodies while also asserting themselves in their overhauled embodiment of beauty, body image and gender expression.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Orion Rummler, Them, 8 July 2024
As a trans non-binary person, Reeve always loved using makeup to play with gender expression.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 27 June 2024
Our language holds space for a lot of things that colonizing bodies do not like, gender expression being one of them, and roles in society, a sense of self in relation to a community.
—Tomris Laffly, IndieWire, 20 June 2024
About one in five trans and nonbinary people who had looked for housing in the last five years believed they had been rejected because of their gender expression.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
The facility prioritizes an inclusive, accessible environment for people of all body types and gender expressions, which starts with reading a social contract on how to show up in the gym during your first visit.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024
But these scenes are an intensified version of an all-too-real dynamic — not unlike how drag reveals the absurdity of typical gender expression by cranking it up to 11.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 13 May 2024
Mom supported female gender expression Lugo had an affinity for the feminine since childhood, his family shared.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
Its models — scouted by Stephanie Francis, the project’s co-director and designer — strike vulnerable, yet confident poses, revealing how cancer has transformed their bodies while also asserting themselves in their overhauled embodiment of beauty, body image and gender expression.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gender expression.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gender expression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gender%20expression. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
gender expression
noun
: the physical and behavioral manifestations of one's gender identity
… some transgender people experience gender dysphoria, defined as psychological distress associated with a sense of incongruence between their gender identity and gender expression and/or body and physical appearance.—Jae M. Sevelius et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Jae M. Sevelius et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthWomen in couples where both partners have more feminine gender expressions may be more likely to be perceived as sisters or friends by onlookers, making them less likely to be targets of homophobia, but simultaneously making it more likely that their romantic relationship will be dismissed.—Lauren Matheson et al., The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality
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