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gender \'jen-dur\ n, pl
Usage Note: "Traditionally,gender
has been used primarily to refer to the
grammatical categories of "masculine,"
"feminine," and "neuter," but in recent years the word
has become well established in its use to refer to sex-based
categories, as in phrases such as gender gap and the politics
of gender."
"This usage is supported by the practice of many anthropologists,
who reserve sex for reference to biological categories,
while using gender to refer to social or cultural categories.
According to this rule, one would say The effectiveness
of the medication appears to depend on the sex (not gender)
of the patient, but In peasant societies, gender (not
sex) roles are likely to be more clearly defined. This
distinction is useful in principle, but it is by no means
widely observed, and considerable variation in usage occurs
at all levels."
Source: The American HeritageŽ Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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