Definition
A small, sensitive organ of the female external genitalia that plays an important role in sexual arousal and pleasure.
Etymology
From Greek 'klitoris,' possibly from 'kleiein' meaning 'to close.' The term entered medical literature in the 16th century from ancient Greek anatomical texts.
Kelly Says
For centuries, anatomy textbooks actually minimized or left out the clitoris—it wasn't until the 1990s that scientists published detailed studies showing its full internal structure, revealing that biology textbooks had been incomplete for hundreds of years.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
እንግሊዝኛ አንድ ነገር
en-glish-nya and ne-ger
ARالعربية
الشفر
ash-shaf'r
BNবাংলা
ক্লিতোরিস
klit-o-ris
CACatalà
clítoris
klit-o-ris
CSČeština
klitoris
klit-o-ris
DADansk
klitoris
klit-o-ris
DEDeutsch
Klitore
klit-oh-reh
ELΕλληνικά
κλitoris
klit-o-ris
ESEspañol
clítoris
klee-toh-ris
FAفارسی
کلاطوریس
klat-o-ris
FISuomi
kliitoris
kli-toh-ris
FRFrançais
clitoris
klit-oh-ris
GUGU
કલિટોરિસ
kali-toh-ris
HAHA
maganin clitoris
ma-ga-nin klit-o-ris
HEעברית
קליטוריס
klit-o-ris
HIहिन्दी
कलिओरिस
kali-o-ris
HUMagyar
klitoris
klit-o-ris
IDBahasa Indonesia
klitoris
klit-o-ris
IGIG
ikpe klitoris
ik-pe klit-o-ris
ITItaliano
clitoride
klit-o-ree-deh
MSBahasa Melayu
klitoris
klit-o-ris
MYမြန်မာ
ကလီတောရစ်
ka-lee-ta-rit
NLNederlands
clitoris
klit-o-ris
NONorsk
klitoris
klit-o-ris
PAPA
ਕਲਿਟੋਰਿਸ
kali-toh-ris
PTPortuguês
clitóris
klit-oh-rees
RORomână
clitoris
klit-o-ris
SVSvenska
klitoris
klit-o-ris
SWKiswahili
klitori
klit-o-ree
TAதமிழ்
குளோரிஸ்
ku-lo-ris
TEతెలుగు
కలిటోరిస్
ka-li-toh-ris
THไทย
คลอทรีส
klor-tree-s
TRTürkçe
klitoris
klit-o-ris
UKУкраїнська
клітор
klit-or
VITiếng Việt
clitoris
klit-o-ris
YOYO
àṣọ́ àwọn klitoris
a-so awon klit-o-ris
ZUZU
ukuthiwe kwakho kwakho
oo-koo-thee-weh kwa-kho kwa-kho
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historically absent from medical education and public language despite being central to female anatomy and pleasure; deliberate erasure from medical curricula reflected gendered control of women's bodily knowledge and sexual autonomy.
Inclusive Usage
Use this anatomical term plainly in medical, educational, and sexual health contexts without euphemism or embarrassment; normalize it at parity with penis.
Empowerment Note
Women physicians and sex researchers—notably Masters & Johnson, and more recently Emily Nagoski—reclaimed scientific language around female sexuality after centuries of medical erasure. Use the term to honor this reclamation.