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terf

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TERF¹

  • /tɝf/ US
  • /tɜːf/ Australia, UK
  • /tɛɾf/ Scotland
  • /tøːf/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /teːf/
  • /tɛːf/

Sounds like turf (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)f

Where it comes from

Acronym of trans-exclusionary radical feminist. The earliest recorded use is from 2008 by trans-inclusive cisgender radical feminist Viv Smythe.

noun TERFs · terf

  1. A trans-exclusionary radical feminist; a radical feminist who does not consider trans women to be women, or thinks they should not be included in female spaces or organisations, and who considers trans men to be women; a person whose transphobia is expressed in feminist terms. Dear “A Lesbian Democrat” Your TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) agenda and what it represents is no better than the bigoted regressive agenda of the religious right.

    Similar: FART, GC, GCF, gendercrit, gendercritter, terven · Opposite: TIRF, transfeminist

TERF²

  • /tɝf/ US
  • /tɜːf/ Australia, UK
  • /tɛɾf/ Scotland
  • /tøːf/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /teːf/
  • /tɛːf/

Sounds like turf (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)f

Where it comes from

Abbreviation.

noun TERFs · terf

  1. abbreviation, countable, uncountable Abbreviation of telomeric repeat-binding factor TERF1, TERF2
  2. US, abbreviation, countable, uncountable Abbreviation of terrain flight (“flight close to the ground, to avoid enemy detection or fire”). A MAWTS qualified TERF instructor is required for all TERF instructional sorties.

terf³

noun terfs

  1. rare Rare spelling of taraf For quotations using this term, see Citations:terf.

terf⁴

noun terfs

  1. Alternative letter-case form of TERF

Translations

Every language

noun trans-exclusionary radical feminist

EspañolTERF, terfa
FrançaisTERF

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Cite this
MLA

"terf." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/terf. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

terf. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/terf

Chicago

"terf." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/terf.

BibTeX
@misc{terf_2026,
  title = {terf},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/terf},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}