Androgynous
/ænˈdrɒdʒɪnəs/noun
Having both male and female characteristics, or not fitting neatly into either sex category.
Did you know?Androgynous comes from Greek andr- (“man”) + gynē (“woman”), a root pair that also survives in words like gynecology and misandry, showing how ancient language encoded sex and power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
andrógynos
“having both male and female characteristics; hermaphroditic”
Late Latin
Latin
androgynus
“androgynous; hermaphrodite”
Middle French
French
androgine
“androgynous person or being”
16th Century
English
androgynous
“having both male and female characteristics”
Modern English
English
androgynous
“having both male and female characteristics, or a mix of masculine and feminine traits”
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