Standard Lemma guide

hermaphroditism

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The condition of an organism that is able to reproduce as both male and female, either simultaneously (simultaneous hermaphroditism or cosexuality) or sequentially (sequential hermaphroditism or dichogamy).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The condition of intersex people with intermediate sex characteristics or pseudohermaphroditism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, dated, historical, offensive, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

showing characteristics of both sexes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: androgyny, bisexuality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sex, gender, sexuality

4

noun

Meaning 4

congenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristics

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hermaphrodism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: birth defect, congenital anomaly, congenital defect, congenital disorder, congenital abnormality

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English hermaphrodite Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English hermaphroditism From hermaphrodite + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: hermafroditisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雌雄間性 /雌雄间性 (cíxióngjiānxìng) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雌雄同體 /雌雄同体 (cíxióng tóng tǐ) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Danish: hermafroditisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Danish: hermafrodisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Danish: tvekønnethed — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Dutch: hermafroditisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Esperanto: dusekseco — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Esperanto: hermafroditismo — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • French: hermaphrodisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • German: Hermaphroditismus — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • German: Hermaphrodismus — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • German: Zweigeschlechtlichkeit — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • German: Zwittrigkeit — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • German: Zwittertum — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Japanese: 雌雄同体 (shiyūdōtai) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Kazakh: қосжыныстылық (qosjynystylyq) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Korean: 암수한몸 (amsuhanmom) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Korean: 자웅동체 (jaungdongche) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hermafrodittisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tvekjønnethet — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hermafrodittisme — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tvikjønn — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Portuguese: hermafroditismo — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Russian: гермафродити́зм (germafroditízm) — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Spanish: hermafroditismo — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Swedish: hermafroditism — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Swedish: hermafrodism — state of having both male and female sexual organs
  • Volapük: härmafrodit — state of having both male and female sexual organs