Sex vs. Gender
The terms 'sex' and 'gender' are used interchangeably in the daily routine, yet they do not have the same or nearly same meaning. Actually, the term 'sex' refers to biological and physical difference between men and women while the term 'gender' refers to characteristics, behaviors, roles, expectations etc between the both.
Key Differences
Sex remains the same throughout the different cultures while gender varies accordingly.
Sex is biologically constructed and gender is socially constructed.
Sex is male or female or any other biological difference while gender is masculine or feminine or transgender.
Sex is very difficult to change while gender, on the other hand, can be changed as is determined by society.
Sex and Gender Definitions
Sex
Sexual activity, especially sexual intercourse
Hasn't had sex in months.
Gender
A grammatical category, often designated as male, female, or neuter, used in the classification of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and, in some languages, verbs that may be arbitrary or based on characteristics such as sex or animacy and that determines agreement with or selection of modifiers, referents, or grammatical forms.
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Sex
The sexual urge or instinct as it manifests itself in behavior
Motivated by sex.
Gender
The fact of being classified as belonging to such a category
Agreement in gender, number, and case.
Sex
Either of the two divisions, designated female and male, by which most organisms are classified on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions
How do you determine the sex of a lobster?.
Gender
Either of the two divisions, designated female and male, by which most organisms are classified on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions; sex.
Sex
The fact or condition of existing in these two divisions, especially the collection of characteristics that distinguish female and male
The evolution of sex in plants.
A study that takes sex into account. See Usage Note at gender.
Gender
One's identity as female or male or as neither entirely female nor entirely male.
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Sex
Females or males considered as a group
Dormitories that house only one sex.
Gender
Females or males considered as a group
Students lined up with the genders in different lines.
Sex
One's identity as either female or male.
Gender
To engender.
Sex
The genitals.
Gender
(obsolete) Class; kind.
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Sex
To determine the sex of (an organism).
Gender
(grammar) A division of nouns and pronouns (and sometimes of other parts of speech) into masculine or feminine, and sometimes other categories like neuter or common, and animate or inanimate.
Sex
To arouse sexually. Often used with up.
Gender
Sex a category, either male or female, into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species.
The gene is activated in both genders
The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, gender, and other factors.
Sex
To increase the appeal or attractiveness of. Often used with up.
Gender
Identification as a man, a woman, or something else, and association with a (social) role or set of behavioral and cultural traits, clothing, etc; a category to which a person belongs on this basis. Compare gender role, gender identity.
Sex
(countable) A category into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species.
The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, sex, and other factors.
Gender
Senseid|en|grammar: voice}} (grammar) {{synonym of voice
Sex
(countable) Another category, especially of humans and especially based on sexuality or gender roles.
Gender
(hardware) The quality which distinguishes connectors, which may be male (fitting into another connector) and female (having another connector fit into it), or genderless/androgynous (capable of fitting together with another connector of the same type).
Sex
(countable) The members of such a category, taken collectively.
Gender
An Indonesian musical instrument resembling a xylophone, used in gamelan music.
Sex
(uncountable) The distinction and relation between these categories, especially in humans; gender.
Gender
(sociology) To assign a gender to (a person); to perceive as having a gender; to address using terms (pronouns, nouns, adjectives...) that express a certain gender.
Sex
Women; the human female gender and those who belong to it.
Gender
(sociology) To perceive (a thing) as having characteristics associated with a certain gender, or as having been authored by someone of a certain gender.
Sex
(uncountable) Sexual activity, usually sexual intercourse unless preceded by a modifier.
Gender
(archaic) To engender.
Sex
Genitalia: a penis or vagina.
Gender
To breed.
Sex
(obsolete) sect.
Gender
Evoking indescribable feelings regarding gender.
This song is so gender.
Sex
To determine the sex of (an animal).
Gender
Kind; sort.
Sex
To have sex with.
Gender
Sex, male or female.
Sex
To have sex.
Gender
A classification of nouns, primarily according to sex; and secondarily according to some fancied or imputed quality associated with sex.
Gender is a grammatical distinction and applies to words only. Sex is natural distinction and applies to living objects.
Sex
The distinguishing peculiarity of male or female in both animals and plants; the physical difference between male and female; the assemblage of properties or qualities by which male is distinguished from female.
Gender
To beget; to engender.
Sex
One of the two divisions of organic beings formed on the distinction of male and female.
Gender
To copulate; to breed.
Sex
The capability in plants of fertilizing or of being fertilized; as, staminate and pistillate flowers are of opposite sexes.
Gender
A grammatical category in inflected languages governing the agreement between nouns and pronouns and adjectives; in some languages it is quite arbitrary but in Indo-European languages it is usually based on sex or animateness
Sex
Activities associated with sexual intercourse;
They had sex in the back seat
Gender
The properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles;
She didn't want to know the sex of the foetus
Sex
Either of the two categories (male or female) into which most organisms are divided;
The war between the sexes
Sex
All of the feelings resulting from the urge to gratify sexual impulses;
He wanted a better sex life
The film contained no sex or violence
Sex
The properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles;
She didn't want to know the sex of the foetus
Sex
Stimulate sexually;
This movie usually arouses the male audience
Sex
Tell the sex (of young chickens)
What is Sex?
As described before, the term ‘sex’ refers to biological & physical differences between men and women including breasts, penis, vagina, testicles, hormones, chromosomes, morphology etc. Sex is kind of a natural thing which is determined after almost 6 weeks after the pregnancy, as the recent research witnesses. It is basically a biological feature. The word sex means ‘division’ or ‘section’ while in ‘Latin’ it means ‘six’.
Examples of differences or characteristics related to sex:
- Males have testicles, female do not.
- Females have breasts, males do not.
- Female baby tends to weigh less than male baby
- Females can get pregnant, males do not.
- Males have more possibility of having mustache than females
- Males have thick voices than female
- Males have penises while female do not.
What is Gender?
Gender refers to characteristics, roles, behaviors, expectations etc between men and women on the basis of societal norms and customs. It means how a man or a woman will behave, react, expect in the particular way and in a particular culture or society. It is usually culturally learned and vulnerable to change over the period of time and because of acquired knowledge and experiences by persons of some particular sex. This is why, gender is sometimes called ‘the sex of the brain’.
Examples of differences or characteristics related to sex:
- Women does more household work than men.
- Professions like nursing is said to be more suited for women than men
- Almost 120 years ago, women were not allowed to vote.
- In more Islamized countries, women have to cover maximum part of their body while men do not have to.
