Degenderize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or eliminate gender distinctions or characteristics from language, behavior, or perception; to neutralize gender associations in identity or expression; to make something free from gender classification
2. The process of stripping away gender-specific traits or terms in communication, societal roles, or personal identification; to treat or present without regard to gender; to achieve neutrality by erasing gender markers
3. Acting to erase or reduce gender differentiation in speech, actions, or categorization; to adopt or impose a gender-neutral stance; to convert concepts, roles, or language so they are no longer gendered

Etymology: "Degenderize" is a plain formation: the prefix "de-", meaning "remove or reverse", is attached to "gender", and the verb suffix "-ize" turns the result into an action. Together they describe taking gender distinctions out of something, whether that is language, job titles, clothing, or forms. The base word "gender" came into English from Old French "gendre", itself from Latin "genus", meaning "kind" or "birth". For centuries English used "gender" mainly as a grammatical term for the classes of nouns, and only later as a way to talk about social roles. The "de-" prefix is the familiar Latin tool for undoing or stripping away, as in "decode" or "deframe", and "-ize" is the Greek-derived suffix that makes verbs out of nouns and adjectives, so the word is built from familiar parts rather than invented from scratch.

Synonyms: neutralize gender, desex, unsex, gender-neutralize, remove gender

Antonyms: genderize, sex, gender-assign, masculinize, feminize