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Meaning & use

sexism

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈseksɪzəm/
US/ˈseksɪzəm/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    Prejudice or discrimination against people based on their sex, especially against women.

    Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or plural. Can be modified by 'institutional', 'everyday', etc.

    Patterns

    • sexism against someone
    • sexism in something
    • face sexism
    • experience sexism

    The report highlighted sexism in hiring practices across the industry.

    She spoke openly about the sexism she faced early in her career.

    Sexism can affect anyone, but it disproportionately harms women.

  2. noununcountable

    Attitudes or behavior that stereotype or devalue people because of their sex, often in language or media.

    Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'casual', 'overt', or 'everyday'.

    Patterns

    • casual sexism
    • overt sexism
    • sexism in language

    The advertisement was criticized for its casual sexism.

    Comedians sometimes use sexism as a source of humor, but it can offend.

    Education can help reduce everyday sexism in schools.

Common combinations

institutional sexism
Institutional sexism can be embedded in laws and policies.
face sexism
Many women face sexism in male-dominated fields.
combat sexism
The organization was founded to combat sexism in the workplace.
accusations of sexism
The politician denied accusations of sexism.

Synonyms and how they differ

misogyny
Misogyny specifically means hatred of women, while sexism can refer to discrimination against any gender and may be less extreme.
gender discrimination
Gender discrimination is a broader legal term that includes unequal treatment based on gender, while sexism often refers to attitudes and beliefs as well as actions.

Opposites

equalityfairness

Word family

sexist adjective
Describing attitudes, remarks, or actions that show sexism.
sexist noun
A person who holds sexist beliefs or behaves in a sexist way.

Commonly confused: sexism or racism? sexism or sexuality?

sexism vs racism

Racism is discrimination based on race, while sexism is based on sex or gender.

sexism vs sexuality

Sexuality refers to a person's sexual orientation, not discrimination based on sex.

Practice

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