intersexual

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér

Proto-Italic *n̥ter

Latin inter

Latin inter-bor.

English inter-

Proto-Indo-European *sek-der.

Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder.

Proto-Italic *seksus

Proto-Indo-European *sek-der.

Proto-Italic *sekaō

Latin secō

Latin secāre?

Latin sexus

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin sexuālisbor.

English sexual

English intersexual

From inter- + sexual.

Adjective

intersexual (not comparable)

1. (of a competition, etc.) Between the sexes.
2. (biology) Having both male and female characteristics, or characteristics intermediate between the sexes.

Synonyms

• intersex, intersexed

Derived terms

• intersexualism
• intersexualist
• intersexualization
• intersexualize
• intersexually

Translations

between the sexes

• Finnish: sukupuolten välinen
• Italian: intersessuale (it)
• Kazakh: интерсексуалды (interseksualdy), интерсексуалдық (interseksualdyq)

biology: having both male and female characteristics

• Catalan: intersexual (ca)
• Esperanto: interseksa, ambaŭseksa
• Finnish: intersukupuolinen (fi)
• German: intersexuell (de), intergeschlechtlich (de)
• Hungarian: interszexuális (hu)
• Italian: intersessuale (it)
• Spanish: intersexual (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} millikynja

Noun

intersexual (plural intersexuals)

1. An intersex person.

Synonyms

• intersex

Derived terms

• intersexy

Translations

Translations

• Catalan: intersexual (ca)
• German: Intersex-Person f, Intersexuelle (de) f, Intersexueller (de) m

See also

• androgynous, androgyne
• epicene
• hermaphrodite

Catalan

Etymology

From inter- +‎ sexual.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [in.tər.sək.suˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [in.teɾ.sek.suˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [in.ter.sek.suˈal]

Adjective

intersexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural intersexuals)

1. intersexual

Noun

intersexual m or f by sense (plural intersexuals)

1. an intersex person

Derived terms

• intersexualitat

Further reading

• “intersexual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌĩ.teɾ.sek.suˈaw/ [ˌĩ.teɾ.sek.sʊˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /ˌĩ.teɾ.sekˈswaw/ [ˌĩ.teɾ.sekˈswaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˌĩ.tɛɾ.sɛˈkswal/ [ˌĩ.tɛɾ.sɛˈkswaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˌĩ.tɛɾ.sɛˈkswal/ [ˌĩ.tɛɾ.sɛˈkswaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˌĩ.tɛɾ.sɛˈkswa.li/

• Hyphenation: in‧ter‧se‧xu‧al

Noun

intersexual m or f by sense (plural intersexuais)

1. (biology) intersex (individual with characteristics of both sexes)

Further reading

• “intersexual”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French intersexuel. Equivalent to inter- +‎ sexual.

Adjective

intersexual m or n (feminine singular intersexuală, masculine plural intersexuali, feminine/neuter plural intersexuale)

1. intersexual

Declension

Declension of intersexual

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	intersexual		intersexuală	intersexuali	intersexuale
	definite	intersexualul		intersexuala	intersexualii	intersexualele
genitive- dative	indefinite	intersexual		intersexuale	intersexuali	intersexuale
	definite	intersexualului		intersexualei	intersexualilor	intersexualelor

Noun

intersexual m (plural intersexuali, feminine equivalent intersexuală)

1. intersexual

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	intersexual	intersexualul	intersexuali	intersexualii
genitive-dative	intersexual	intersexualului	intersexuali	intersexualilor
vocative	intersexualule		intersexualilor

Related terms

• intersexualitate

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér

Proto-Italic *n̥ter

Latin inter

Latin inter-lbor.

Spanish inter-

Proto-Indo-European *sek-der.

Proto-Indo-European *séks-u-sder.

Proto-Italic *seksus

Proto-Indo-European *sek-der.

Proto-Italic *sekaō

Late Latin secō

Late Latin secāre?

Late Latin sexus

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Late Latin -ālis

Late Latin sexuālisbor.

Spanish sexual

Spanish intersexual

From inter- + sexual.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inteɾseɡˈswal/ [ĩn̪.t̪eɾ.seɣ̞ˈswal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: in‧ter‧se‧xual

Adjective

intersexual m or f (masculine and feminine plural intersexuales)

1. intersexual

Derived terms

• intersexualidad

Further reading

• “intersexual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025