terf: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

It is a highly contentious term. Those it describes almost universally consider it a slur or a mischaracterisation, while those who use it argue it is a factual descriptor of a specific political position. Its use is deeply polarising.

Rarely, but it sometimes appears in informal, derivative forms like 'terfing' (engaging in terf rhetoric) or 'terfed out' (excluded for holding such views). This is non-standard and very informal.

'Gender-critical' is the term preferred by individuals and groups who hold that sex is biological and immutable, and who often oppose certain transgender rights policies. 'Terf' is a term used by their critics to label that same position, often implying that it is inherently exclusionary and radical.

With extreme caution. It is advisable to define it clearly, often placing it in quotation marks on first use, and to acknowledge its contested status. Many academic style guides recommend using more neutral descriptors like 'trans-exclusionary feminist' or 'gender-critical feminist' unless analysing the term itself.

An acronym for 'Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist', referring to a person, typically identifying as a feminist, who holds views excluding transgender women from women's spaces, feminism, or certain rights based on the belief that gender is determined solely by biological sex.

Terf is usually informal, primarily used in political, activist, academic (gender studies), and online discourse. highly contentious and often avoided in formal, neutral writing. in register.

Terf: in British English it is pronounced /tɜːf/, and in American English it is pronounced /tɝːf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.