Gorean is the adjectival form of Gor. It describes anything associated with the fictional world of the novels, with the reader communities that have grown around them, or with the philosophical and relational vocabulary those communities have developed. A person may describe themselves as Gorean to signal identification with a set of values, aesthetics or protocols drawn from that tradition.

Usage of the term as an identity label became widespread in online communities during the 1990s and 2000s. It is used across a spectrum of engagement, from purely literary interest to structured lifestyle practice.

Self-identification as Gorean carries different weight in different communities and lineages. Some reserve it for those who have accepted formal instruction; others use it more broadly.