Gender-neutral language

Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids bias toward a particular sex or social gender. In English, this includes use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions, as well as avoidance of the pronoun he (including the forms him and his) to refer to people of unknown or indeterminate gender. For example, the words policeman and stewardess are gender-specific; the corresponding gender-neutral terms are police officer and flight attendant. Other gender-specific terms, such as actor and actress, may be replaced by the originally male term; for example, actor used regardless of gender. Some terms, such as chairman, that contain the component -man but have traditionally been used to refer to persons of either sex are now seen by some as gender-specific. When the gender of the person referred to is unknown or indeterminate, a gender-specific pronoun such as he may be avoided by using a gender-neutral pronoun – possibilities in English include he or she, s/he, or singular they.