they them
Gender-neutral pronoun pair
They/them are third-person plural pronouns: They arrived late, I told them the news.
Since the late 20th century, they/them has gained acceptance as singular pronouns for individuals who don't identify as male or female, or when gender is unknown or irrelevant: Ask the customer what they want.
This singular usage dates to Middle English but has become politically charged in discussions of gender identity.
- pronounsNoun substitutes
- third personGrammatical category for others
- preferred pronounsSelf-specified gender terms
- pluralMore than one
- othersDifferent people, things
people · group · us · all of us · we · nonbinary · gender · identity · inclusive · chosen family · collective · crowd · folks · individuals · everyone · somebody · anyone · those
- LGBTQgay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer
- LGBTQ+gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer