Meaning & use
deadnaming
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The act of calling a transgender person by the name they used before their transition.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: 'Deadnaming is harmful.' It does not usually take a plural.
Patterns
- deadnaming of someone
- accuse someone of deadnaming
- deadnaming in the media
The teacher was criticized for deadnaming a student in front of the class.
Many online platforms now have rules against deadnaming and misgendering.
He apologized for deadnaming his colleague and used her correct name from then on.
verbtransitive
Present participle of 'deadname': to call a transgender person by their former name.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'They were deadnaming him.' The base form is 'deadname'.
Patterns
- deadname someone
- be accused of deadnaming someone
She kept deadnaming her son, so he stopped visiting.
The article was accused of deadnaming the singer throughout.
Common combinations
- deadnaming and misgendering
- The policy explicitly prohibits deadnaming and misgendering in the workplace.
- accused of deadnaming
- The journalist was accused of deadnaming the activist in the interview.
- deadnaming in the media
- Deadnaming in the media can put transgender people at risk.
- stop deadnaming
- Please stop deadnaming me; my name is Alex now.
Word family
- deadname verb
- To call a transgender person by their former name.
- deadname noun
- The former name of a transgender person.
Commonly confused: deadnaming or misgendering?
deadnaming vs misgendering
Misgendering means using the wrong pronouns or gendered terms for someone; deadnaming specifically means using their former name.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'deadnaming' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Deadnaming' refers to calling a transgender person by a former name, so it fits the policy context. The other options use it as if it meant knocking, naming an object, or postponing, which are not its meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deadnaming”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.