Dictionary

they/them en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈðeɪˌðɛm/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From a common format for specifying gender-neutral pronouns in online profiles.

Meanings

1. (Internet, derogatory, offensive, sometimes) A non-binary person; one who uses gender-neutral pronouns.
   • I've long used videogames as a means to cope with both my disability and my dysphoria, but Baldur's Gate 3 is the first time I've been able to really get into roleplaying a they/them causing mayhem. 2023 September 10, Nova Smith, “Baldur's Gate 3 is the first game that met me halfway in roleplaying a they/them causing mayhem, and that feels like the future of RPGs”, in PC Gamer:
   • Now testosterone has deepened his voice and his journey has reached its final stage – from they/them to he/him. 2026 April 18, Alex Needham, “Kae Tempest on creativity and his gender transition: ‘I’m just glad to be alive’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • The individual straight cises whom I work with are pretty nice for the most part. Still, people (mostly my boomer coworkers) often misgender other people (mostly the younger they/thems) at my office and bristle when corrected. 2024 May 1, Emily Gould, quoting Mx. Vanilla, “‘Help! Our DEI Trainer Won’t Stop Talking About Kink’”, in The Cut:
   • In case you were wondering, "Shakespeare's They/Thems" turned out to be Rosalind and Viola. The Folger talk summons these "cross-dressed female protagonists" as evidence that Shakespeare was "comfortable" with "non-binary" and "transgender identity" 2024, Colby Gordon, quoting Folger Shakespeare Library, Glorious Bodies: Trans Theology and Renaissance Literature, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 18:

Forms

Deriveds

theydies and gentlethems

Translations (1)

pt todes (non-binary person)

they/them en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈðeɪˌðɛm/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From a common format for specifying gender-neutral pronouns in online profiles.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To refer to (someone) using gender-neutral pronouns.
   • As per the old Jewish joke “ask two Jews, get three opinions”, there’s room on this seven-strong bill (plus [Hannah] Gadsby) for at least that many different perspectives on gender – including some impish scepticism from Canadian comic DeAnne Smith, who complains about “getting they/them’d against my will since 2005”. 2023 October 13, Brian Logan, “‘We’re all learning’: why Netflix needs Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda”, in The Guardian:

Forms