A transsexual is someone who is as adopted the opposite sex from which they where born to live their life – this is the physical side of being a transsexual. There is also a mental state of being a transsexual where you actually want to be the opposite sex you were born as – but are unable to fulfil this (e.g. relationship, career, guilt etc.)

a person whose sexual identification is entirely with the opposite sex

An individual whose gender is opposite one's birth sex. A transexual may take hormones and have full or partial surgery, or may choose not to, or may not be able to afford to. Transexual is also spelled with two s' transsexual.

Purposely spelled with only one "s", this term was intended to take the psychological term from the mental health professional sub-culture and re-define it for the transgender sub-culture.