they/them

noun, verb — 2 senses

they/them

noun

US, UK /ˈðeɪˌðɛm/

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

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:
  • 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:
2 more examples
  • 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:
  • 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:
Derived terms
theydies and gentlethems

they/them

verb

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

1

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:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.