transsexual

transsexual — adjective

1. describes someone whose inner sense of being male, female, or another gender doe

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes someone whose inner sense of being male, female, or another gender does not match the sex they were assigned when they were born

Example

Brandon is a transsexual man and has been living as male for over a decade.

transsexual man — gender-identity phrasing

The hospital trained its staff to provide better care for transsexual patients.

transsexual patients — medical/institutional context

Common collocations
  • transsexual person
  • transsexual man
  • transsexual woman
  • transsexual people
  • transsexual patient
Synonyms
  • transgender

    broader, more contemporary umbrella term; preferred in general use

  • trans

    informal abbreviation of transgender or transsexual

Antonyms
  • cisgender

    describes a person whose gender matches their birth sex

Grammar Patterns

transsexual + noun (person, man, woman, patient)

Usage Note

In contemporary English, transgender is the more common and widely preferred term. Transsexual is considered by many to be dated or overly clinical. However, some individuals — especially those who have undergone medical transition — continue to describe themselves as transsexual. Always respect a person's own choice of words.

Common Mistakes

Transsexual refers to a person's sexual orientation.
Transsexual describes a person's gender identity, not who they are attracted to.
Being transsexual is about gender, not sexuality.

2. describes medical treatments — including operations and hormone therapy — that c

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes medical treatments — including operations and hormone therapy — that change a person's physical appearance to align with the gender they identify as

Example

After saving for three years, Ife finally had transsexual surgery in Bangkok.

transsexual surgery — surgical-transition collocation

The doctor explained the risks and recovery time for each transsexual procedure.

Common collocations
  • transsexual surgery
  • transsexual procedure
  • transsexual operation
  • transsexual hormone therapy
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

transsexual + noun (surgery, procedure, operation)

Usage Note

This sense refers narrowly to medical procedures (surgery, hormones). In everyday conversation, most people simply say 'transition' or 'gender-affirming surgery' rather than 'transsexual surgery.' The clinical tone of this sense is one reason the broader term transgender has replaced transsexual in general usage.

Common Mistakes

They had transsexual surgery to change their personality.
They had gender-affirming surgery as part of their medical transition.
Surgery changes physical characteristics, not personality or identity.

transsexual — noun

Word family

  • transsexualism
    nounC1
  • transsexuality
    nounC1
  • trans
    adjectiveB2
  • trans
    nounB2
  • transgender
    adjectiveB2
  • transgender
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Transsexual, transgender, trans, and gender diverse overlap but differ in scope and connotation. Transsexual is the oldest of these terms and is now considered formal or clinical; it typically refers specifically to people who have taken or intend to take medical steps (hormones, surgery) to transition. Transgender is the current umbrella term for anyone whose gender identity differs from their birth sex, regardless of medical transition — it is broader and more widely preferred. Trans (short for either) is casual and common within LGBTQ+ communities. Gender diverse is an even broader, inclusive term that covers non-binary and gender-nonconforming people as well. For example: 'A transsexual woman may have had surgery, while a transgender woman may or may not have; a gender diverse person might not identify as either man or woman at all.' In practice, if you are unsure which term someone prefers, transgender person or trans person are the safest choices.

transgendertrans ↗gender diverse

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • transsexual and transgender
  • transsexual rights movement

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed in English from the Latin prefix trans- meaning 'across' or 'beyond' and sexual, from Latin sexus ('sex'). The term was coined in medical literature in the mid-20th century, notably by sexologist Harry Benjamin in the 1950s, to describe people whose gender identity differed from their birth sex and who sought medical transition. Before the 1990s, transsexual was the standard clinical term; it was gradually replaced by transgender in mainstream usage as the understanding of gender identity broadened beyond medical transition.