gender binary

Definition of Gender Binary

(noun) Gender distinctions divided into two categories, namely women and men or feminine or masculine.

Example of Gender Binary

• Restrooms divided into women or men only.

Gender Binary Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: gen·der bi·na·ry

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˈʤɛndər ˈbaɪnəri/
• British English – /ˈʤɛndə ˈbaɪnəri/

Usage Notes

• Plural: gender binaries
  
• Also called:
  • binarism
  • gender binarism

Additional Information

• Sex and Gender Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “gender” and “binary” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• Basow, Susan A. 1992. Gender: Stereotypes and Roles. 3rd ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
• Warner, Michael. 1999. The Trouble with Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life. New York: Free Press.
• Wilkerson, William S. 2007. Ambiguity and Sexuality: A Theory of Sexual Identity. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Related Terms

• ascribed status
• demography
• discrimination
• gender
• minority group
• norm
• role
• sexism
• status

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Works Consulted

Macmillan. (N.d.) Macmillan Dictionary. (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/).

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. 1997. New York: Random House.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Gender Binary

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “gender binary.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 2, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/gender-binary/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

gender binary. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/gender-binary/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “gender binary.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 2, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/gender-binary/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“gender binary.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/gender-binary/>.