Cis-
Origin
From the Latin preposition cis ("on this side of").
Prefix
- On this side of.cis-Neptunian, cisalpine
- (chemistry) Forming names of chemical compounds in which two atoms or groups are situated on the same side of some plane of symmetry passing through the compound.
- (gender) Cis; cisgender or cissexual.cisman, ciswoman, cismale, cisfemale
- (gender) Of, related or specific to cis persons.cisgender, cissexism, cisnormativity
Usage notes
In the first sense, "on this side of", this prefix is usually attached directly to the word it modifies, or sometimes separated from it by a hyphen: cisrhenane, cis-Neptunian.
In the gender-related senses, this prefix is attached directly to certain words, most notably cisgender and cissexual (which are almost always spelled thus, not as e.g. *cis sexual). The prefix is separated from other words by a hyphen or a space (i.e. the related standalone adjective cis is used): hence one speaks of a cis perspective (not *cisperspective), etc. In particular, it is now sometimes considered offensive to write cisman or cis-man, the preferred spelling being cis man (cis man). Compare trans- and trans.