What Does "Latinx" Mean, Exactly? Everything you need to know about the gender-inclusive term.

A go-to guide for the meaning of "Latinx."

While the difference between "Latinx" and "Hispanic" largely comes down to how you self-identify (more on that, below), "Latinx" has typically been adopted among people who are looking for a more inclusive and gender-free alternative to "Latino" or "Latina." (Spanish words are automatically gendered to signify a man or a woman, leaving no option for those who choose to identify as non-binary.) Even though having this alternative is progressive, its usage can still be confusing—which might explain why a 2020 report from the Pew Research Center found that only 23 percent of U.S. adults who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino have heard of the term "Latinx," and just 3 percent embrace the term for themselves. Those findings are consistent with the results of a 2021 Gallup poll, which reported that only 4 percent of respondents preferred the term "Latinx," while 15 percent preferred "Latino" and 23 percent preferred "Hispanic."