Paragirl in a sentence
Paragirl means mostly a girl or a woman. Not half. Most. The girl part outweighs the rest, and for many paragirls the rest is nothing in particular: a small part that isn't womanhood, often closer to agender or an unnamed non-binary feeling than to another gender. See the full paragirl page.
Demigirl in a sentence
Demigirl means being partly a woman. The rest is some other gender, or none at all. People mean two slightly different things by it: some partly identify as a woman, others feel a real connection to womanhood without that being their whole gender. Both are demigirl. See the full demigirl page.
Side by side
| Paragirl | Demigirl | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Mostly a girl or woman | Partly a girl or woman |
| The share of womanhood | The larger part; it clearly outweighs the rest | A partial share; it may or may not be the larger part |
| The rest of the gender | Usually small and often "nothing in particular" | Can be agender, another gender, an unnamed non-binary gender, or none |
| Family | Demigender (part of the paragender group of words) | Demigender |
| Flag | Nine mirrored bands, grey and white through peach and orange to a thin red centre | Seven symmetric stripes of grey, light grey, pink and white |
| Pronouns | Any; she/her, she/they and they/them are all used | Any; she/her, she/they and they/them are all used |
Where the two overlap
Both words describe a connection to womanhood that is real but not the whole story. Neither is a stage on the way to "fully girl", and neither means someone hasn't made up their mind. The partial connection is the identity itself.
Because "partly" can include "mostly", some people see paragirl as a more specific kind of demigirl, and some paragirls also use demigirl, or the wider word demigender, when they don't want to explain the difference. Others see them as two separate points on a scale. Communities use both framings, and neither is wrong.
What about percentages?
You'll sometimes see numbers attached to these words, for example a paragirl being "more than half" a girl, or a figure for demigirl. There's no single agreed figure, and you don't need a number to know a word fits. If you find yourself trying to measure exactly how much of a girl you are, it may help to step back and ask a simpler question: does "mostly" or "partly" describe it better?
Which fits me?
There's no right answer from the outside, but these questions tend to help:
- When someone calls you a woman, how close does it land? "Nearly right, with a small bit left over" leans paragirl. "Partly right, and there's a real other part" leans demigirl.
- How big is the part that isn't womanhood? If it's small and quiet, paragirl may fit. If it's a substantial piece of who you are, or a gender of its own, demigirl may fit better.
- Is the rest something, or nothing? Both words allow either, but paragirls often describe the rest as "nothing in particular", while many demigirls name it (agender, non-binary, or another gender).
- Does your sense of it change over time? If the strength of your connection to womanhood rises and falls, look at demigirl vs girlflux: girlflux describes a womanhood whose intensity changes.
- Which word feels like relief? Say each one in your head. The one that feels like yours usually matters more than any definition.
You're also free to use both, switch later, or use neither. Labels are tools for describing yourself, not tests to pass.
Related comparisons
If you're comparing demigender words, these may help too: demigirl vs demiboy, greygender vs demigender, and deminonbinary vs demigender. The guide to bigender, demigender and multigender identities covers the wider family.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between paragirl and demigirl?
The difference is the size of the connection to womanhood. A paragirl is mostly a girl or woman, with a small remaining part that is usually nothing in particular. A demigirl is partly a girl or woman, and the rest can be another gender, a non-binary gender, or no gender at all. Both are usually grouped with demigender identities, and there are no agreed exact percentages for either.
Can you be both paragirl and demigirl?
Some people see it that way. Since "partly" can include "mostly", some paragirls also call themselves demigirls, or use the broader word demigender. Others prefer to keep the two words separate because "mostly" says something more precise about them. Communities use both framings, so whichever describes you more comfortably is the one to use.
Is a paragirl a woman?
Mostly, by definition, and how a paragirl describes that is up to them. Some paragirls are comfortable being called women in everyday life, since the description is nearly right. Others prefer that the small remaining part is acknowledged, for example with words like paragirl or demigender, or with pronouns such as she/they. If you're unsure, ask the person what they prefer.
What pronouns do paragirls and demigirls use?
Any pronouns. She/her is common for both, as are she/they and they/them, and some people use neopronouns. The label doesn't decide the pronouns: two demigirls, or two paragirls, can make different choices. The simplest approach is to ask, and to use whatever someone tells you.
Do paragirl and demigirl have flags?
Yes, and some versions exist. A widely used paragirl flag has nine bands mirrored from grey and white through peach and orange to a thin red centre. The demigirl flag has seven symmetric stripes of grey, light grey, pink and white, whose greys are often described as the part not claimed and the pink as the partial link to womanhood.
Ready for the full picture?
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