ze
or zie
[ zee ]
/ zi /
pronoun
(occasionally used with a singular indefinite pronoun or singular noun antecedent in place of the definite masculine he or the definite feminine she): My friend didn't want to go to the party, but ze ended up having a great time!
Origin of ze
First recorded in 1970–75; based on the German pronoun
sie
usage note for ze
Gender-neutral pronouns have been proposed as far back as the mid-19th century, especially in connection with progressive ideas about women’s rights. More recently, the coinage and use of
ze and other gender-neutral pronouns has been motivated by discussions about gender identity. Many gay, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals do not identify as male or female or do not want to be identified as either gender. Even so, use of
ze as a gender-neutral singular third-person pronoun is quite limited, partly because of a general resistance toward replacing English pronouns. Pronouns belong to a small, closed class of words whose membership is relatively fixed. See also
they.