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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

sex.

A category into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species; the system of such categories, which can differ by organism or by taxonomic branch.

3 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈsɛks/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈseks/Australia, New-Zealand
  1. A category into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species; the system of such categories, which can differ by organism or by taxonomic branch.

    countable
    The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, sex, and other factors.
  2. Another category, especially of humans and especially based on sexuality or gender roles.

    countable
  3. The members of such a category, taken collectively.

    countable
  4. The distinction and relation between these categories, especially in humans; gender.

    uncountable
  5. Women; the human female gender and those who belong to it.

    literary · obsolete · uncountable · with-definite-article
  6. Sexual activity, may be understood to be sexual intercourse unless preceded by a modifier.

    uncountable
  7. Genitalia: a penis or vagina/vulva.

    countable · euphemistic · slang
  8. Any kind of category, class, or community of people who possess shared characteristics, such as religion or race.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sek-der. Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder. Proto-Italic *seksus Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin secō Latin secāre? Latin sexusder. Old French sexeder. Middle English sexe English sex From Middle English sexe (“sex [distinction between male and female] and gender”), from Old French sexe (“genitals; gender”), from Latin sexus (“gender; gender traits; males or females; genitals”), from Proto-Italic *seksus, from Proto-Indo-European *séksus, from *sek- (“to cut, cut off, sever”), thus meaning "section, division" (into male and female). Displaced native Old English hād (“sex, gender”). Usage for women influenced by Middle French le sexe (“women”) (attested in 1580). Usage for third and additional sexes calqued from French troisième sexe, referring to masculine women in 1817 and homosexuals in 1847. First used by Lord Byron and others in English in reference to Catholic clergy. Usage for sexual intercourse first attested in 1899 (in the writings of H. G. Wells).

verb/ˈsɛks/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈseks/Australia, New-Zealand
  1. To determine the sex of (an animal).

    transitive
  2. To have sex with.

    US · colloquial · transitive
  3. To have sex.

    US · colloquial · intransitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sek-der. Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder. Proto-Italic *seksus Proto-Indo-European *sek- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *sékh₁yeti Proto-Italic *sekaō Latin secō Latin secāre? Latin sexusder. Old French sexeder. Middle English sexe English sex From Middle English sexe (“sex [distinction between male and female] and gender”), from Old French sexe (“genitals; gender”), from Latin sexus (“gender; gender traits; males or females; genitals”), from Proto-Italic *seksus, from Proto-Indo-European *séksus, from *sek- (“to cut, cut off, sever”), thus meaning "section, division" (into male and female). Displaced native Old English hād (“sex, gender”). Usage for women influenced by Middle French le sexe (“women”) (attested in 1580). Usage for third and additional sexes calqued from French troisième sexe, referring to masculine women in 1817 and homosexuals in 1847. First used by Lord Byron and others in English in reference to Catholic clergy. Usage for sexual intercourse first attested in 1899 (in the writings of H. G. Wells).

noun/ˈsɛks/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/ˈseks/Australia, New-Zealand
  1. Alternative form of sect

    alt-of · alternative · obsolete
Where this word comes from

From sect.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.