RAE trans: the Dictionary finally includes the word “trans” and thus defines trans people

Publicidad

• The Royal Spanish Academy incorporates “trans” in the 24th edition of the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, presented on October 30.
• It defines it as the person “who identifies with a gender different from the one assigned at birth” or who expresses their gender identity differently from conventional expectations.
• It arrives alongside more than 6,000 new words, including “fatphobia”, “racialize”, and “ageist”.

The RAE already includes the word “trans”. The Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE) include it in the 24th edition of the Dictionary, presented on October 30 in Madrid. This is the first time the academic dictionary defines trans identity with its own entry.

How does the RAE define the word “trans”?

The RAE defines “trans” as an adjective that, when referring to a person, means that “they identify with a gender different from the one assigned at birth” or that “they express their gender identity differently from conventional expectations”. The Dictionary indicates that it can also be used as a noun.

The definition has two parts. The first speaks of identity: the gender with which a person identifies. The second speaks of expression: how that identity is shown. Thus, the entry does not limit itself to a single way of being trans.

Publicidad

What is the 24th edition of the Dictionary?

It is the new edition of the Dictionary of the Spanish Language (DLE), with more than 6,000 new words, 99,990 articles, and nearly 209,000 meanings. The previous paper edition was from 2014.

It is also the first “native digital” edition: for the first time, the printed dictionary comes from the online version and not the other way around. The paper version, from Espasa, has two volumes and 3,606 pages. The online dictionary receives about 100 million visits per month.

The presentation coincided with the 300th anniversary of the Dictionary of Authorities (1726). For the occasion, the director of the RAE and president of ASALE, Santiago Muñoz Machado, chose a word: “tolerance”. The edition has been directed by Paz Battaner.

“Trans” arrives alongside “fatphobia” and “racialize”

The word “trans” does not arrive alone. The new edition adds other terms related to diversity and discrimination:

• Fatphobia: “aversion to body fat or to fat people.”
• Racialize: “to attribute a racial interpretation to a person, group, or social conflict.”
• Ageist, related to age discrimination.

Also included are “eco-anxiety”, “touristification”, “AI”, “influencer”, “podcast”, or “QR code”.

What does it mean to you that the RAE includes “trans”?

That the RAE includes “trans” does not create any new rights nor decide who is trans: it confirms that the word is part of the Spanish we speak. The Dictionary reflects the use of the language; it does not dictate it.

Even so, it has practical effects:

• It is a reference for consultation. When someone searches for “trans” in the academic dictionary, they will find a definition that does not pathologize.
• It serves as support in school, administrative, or journalistic texts that need a reference definition.
• It does not change the law. In Spain, the rights of trans people are governed by the Law 4/2023, for the real and effective equality of trans people and for the guarantee of the rights of LGTBI people, not by the Dictionary.

A symbolic step, not minor

Words matter. For years, trans identity was often named from medical language or from insult. That the reference dictionary of Spanish defines it from identity and gender expression is further recognition of a reality that already existed on the street, in laws, and in the lives of thousands of people.

You may be interested:

- Publicidad-

• Trans visibility in 2026: a step forward or two steps back?
• Medical violence against trans and intersex people

Frequently asked questions

Has the RAE included the word “trans”?
Yes. It is in the 24th edition of the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, presented on October 30, 2026.

How does the RAE define “trans”?
As an adjective that, when referring to a person, means that they identify with a gender different from the one assigned at birth or that they express their gender identity differently from conventional expectations. It can also be used as a noun.

What other new words does the Dictionary include?
More than 6,000 new words, such as “fatphobia”, “racialize”, “ageist”, “eco-anxiety”, “AI”, or “influencer”.

Does it change any rights of trans people?
No. The Dictionary reflects the use of the language. Rights are regulated by law.