"-near" or "near-" is a prefix and suffix that describes a gender or sometimes an orientation that feels extremely close to fitting a particular label, but there is something slightly 'off', 'missing', or 'different' about it. What defines a gender/orientation feeling this way is up to the individual.
For example, feeling extremely close to being agender but not quite fitting the term's definition 100%. As a percentage, the individual may feel as if one's gender fits the description of agender, but only 90-99% of the way - there is something slightly off about it.
The term can be used with any gender identity term as either a prefix or a suffix (e.g. nearboy or boynear), and both forms add the same meaning to a term. Examples of "-near"/"near-" identities would be:
- Nearboy / Boynear (could be similar to boyish)
- Neargirl / Girlnear (could be similar to girlish)
- Nearnonbinary / Nonbinarynear
- Nearagender / Agendernear
- Nearbigender / Bigendernear
This prefix and suffix could also be used with orientations if one desires, with possible terms being nearace/acenear for asexual (could be similar to dark greysexual) or nearbi/binear for bisexual. This is not the primary use for this term, but it can be considered.
Some "-near"/"near-" identities may overlap with existing terms.
History
Discord user thenelsonsystem#0156 (FANDOM user TheNelsonSystem) coined the prefix and suffix "-near"/"near-" on September 18th, 2021. Initially, only the gender definition was included, but it can now be used easily for both genders and orientations.
Flags
The "-near"/"near-" flag was designed on the same day by the same user. Its colors represent the following: grey - agiaspec and multigenders, blue - masculine-aligned and male-aligned genders, purple - non-binary, abinary, neutral, and xenic genders, pink - feminine-aligned and female-aligned genders, off-white - feeling close to fitting a term's definition but not quite.