A cisgender female (often shortened to “cis female” or “cis woman”) is a person who was assigned female at birth and also identifies as a girl or woman throughout her life.

Simple definition

  • “Cisgender” means your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth.
  • A cisgender female is someone who:
    • Was labeled or assumed female when she was born (for example, based on anatomy).
* Personally identifies as a woman or girl.

So if someone was assigned female at birth and feels that “woman” fits who they are, they are a cisgender woman.

How it differs from other terms

  • Cisgender vs transgender :
    • Cisgender: gender identity and birth-assigned sex match.
    • Transgender: gender identity does not match the sex assigned at birth.
  • Cisgender vs sexual orientation :
    • Being cisgender is about gender identity, not who you’re attracted to.
    • A cisgender woman can be straight, lesbian, bi, queer, asexual, etc., and is still cis as long as she identifies with the female sex she was assigned at birth.

Why people use the term

  • It makes it clear that “being a woman whose gender matches her birth sex” is one type of gender experience, not the automatic default.
  • It helps discussions about gender feel more balanced; instead of only labeling trans people, “cis” names the majority experience too.
  • In some online spaces, people add “cis female” in bios to signal their identity and sometimes their support for trans and queer communities, though opinions on this practice can differ.

A quick everyday example

If Maya was assigned female at birth and has always felt and described herself as a girl or woman, then Maya is a cisgender female.

TL;DR: A cisgender female is someone who was assigned female at birth and also identifies as a woman; her gender identity and birth-assigned sex are aligned.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.