The Oxford English Dictionary is considering adding the gender-neutral term ‘Mx’ for the first time.

‘Mx’ would be added alongside the titles of Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms as a gender-neutral term, such as Dr and Rev.

“This is an example of how the English language adapts to people’s needs, with people using language in ways that suit them rather than letting language dictate identity to them,” the dictionary’s assistant editor Jonathan Dent told the Sunday Times.

Pronounced “Mix” or “Mux”, Mx would be a significant step in societal acceptance of different variations of gender identity.

“When you look at the usual drop-down options for titles, they tend to be quite formal and embrace traditional status such as the relationship between a man and wife, such as Mr and Mrs, or a profession such as Dr or even Lord. This is something new.”

Mx was initially used officially on Brighton and Hove council forms two years ago following a vote. Since then, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Royal Mail have also adopted the title, it has also quietly made its way onto several official forms and databases.

In March, Sweden became one of the first countries to add a gender neutral pronoun to it’s dictionary, after the word hen – an alteration of han (he) and hon (she) – became commonly used.