sexist

/ˈsɛksɪst/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: sexists

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Unfairly discriminatory against one sex in favour of the other.

Adjective

Examples

What was all that about? Well, like all women, she's shoe-mad. 't's a bit sexist, isn't it? Do you know one woman who isn't obsessed with shoes? No, but I only know one woman. And she just left the room shouting "THE SHOES!"

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A person who discriminates on grounds of sex; someone who practises sexism.

Noun

Examples

When you argue […] that since fewer women write good poetry this justifies their total exclusion, you are taking a position analogous to that of the racist—I might call you in this case a "sexist"—who says that since so few Negroes have held positions of importance relative to the majority race, the

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “sexist” mean?

Unfairly discriminatory against one sex in favour of the other.

Is “sexist” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.