sexism
Medium-HighPredominantly formal or academic; used in critical everyday discussion of social issues.
Definition
Meaning
The belief that one sex, typically female, is innately inferior or less capable than the other, leading to prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination.
Any system, set of attitudes, or institutional practice that subordinates or marginalizes people based on their sex or gender. This can manifest in language, laws, policies, and social norms, often in ways that are systemic and not necessarily conscious.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to discrimination against women, but can be used to describe discrimination against men in specific contexts (e.g., 'reverse sexism'). The term implies a power imbalance. Distinct from 'misogyny', which is a hatred of women, as sexism can be structural and not necessarily driven by personal animus.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition or spelling. The word is used identically.
Connotations
Identical negative connotations in both varieties. Associated with social justice and equality discourses.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American public discourse, reflecting a longer history of institutionalized feminist activism, but equally common in UK academia and media.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Sexism in (the workplace/in advertising)Sexism against (women/men)Sexism from (colleagues/the management)Charges/accusations of sexismVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The glass ceiling (a result of systemic sexism)”
- “Old boys' club”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to discriminatory hiring, promotion, or pay practices, as well as hostile work environments. E.g., 'The company's policy aims to eliminate sexism in recruitment.'
Academic
A key term in sociology, gender studies, and political science, used to analyse power structures, socialisation, and institutional bias.
Everyday
Used to call out discriminatory comments, jokes, or assumptions based on gender. E.g., 'Calling that "women's work" is pure sexism.'
Technical
In legal contexts, refers to actions or policies that violate equality legislation (e.g., the Equality Act 2010 in the UK).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The report was accused of sexisting the data, by downplaying women's contributions. (Very rare, non-standard)
American English
- The algorithm was found to sexistly rank candidates. (Non-standard, theoretical)
adverb
British English
- The job ad was sexistly worded to attract male applicants. (Rare)
American English
- The manager acted sexistly by consistently interrupting the female executives. (Rare)
adjective
British English
- Her speech was a powerful critique of sexist attitudes in the media.
American English
- He filed a lawsuit over the company's sexist promotion policies.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Sexism is unfair.
- She does not like sexism.
- The article talked about sexism in schools.
- Many people are fighting against sexism in the workplace.
- Despite clear policies, subtle sexism continues to affect morale in the department.
- The film criticises the casual sexism prevalent in the industry during the 1970s.
- The study deconstructs how institutional sexism is perpetuated through seemingly neutral hiring algorithms.
- Her thesis posits that linguistic sexism both reflects and reinforces broader societal inequalities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SEX + ISM. Just like 'racism' is prejudice based on race, 'sexism' is prejudice based on sex.
Conceptual Metaphor
Sexism is a BARRIER (to progress, opportunity), a FILTER (distorting perception), or a SYSTEM (an interconnected set of biases).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly relating it to 'сексизм' in all contexts, as the Russian term can be perceived as a niche, imported concept. The broader term 'дискриминация по половому признаку' may sometimes convey the systemic meaning better.
- Do not confuse with 'sexuality' or 'сексуальность'. The root 'sex' here refers to biological/social sex, not sexual activity.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'sexist' as a noun for the concept instead of 'sexism' (e.g., 'That's pure sexist' is wrong; it's 'That's pure sexism').
- Overusing to describe any gender-related difference without a component of prejudice or discrimination.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following scenarios BEST exemplifies systemic sexism?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, sexism can be unconscious or systemic, embedded in traditions, language, and institutional practices without any individual necessarily intending to discriminate.
Yes, though less common in a patriarchal structure, men can face sexism based on stereotypes about masculinity (e.g., assumptions they should not show emotion) or in fields traditionally dominated by women.
Sexism is a broader system of discrimination based on sex. Misogyny is a specific, deep-seated hatred, contempt, or prejudice against women. All misogyny is sexist, but not all sexism is misogynistic.
It is a contested term. Many sociologists argue that in a society where one gender holds institutional power, discrimination against the powerful group, while prejudiced, does not have the same systemic impact and is better termed 'prejudice' rather than 'sexism' in its full structural sense.
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