dead white male

[ ded hwahyt meyl, wahyt ]

noun

, Slang: Disparaging.

1. (sometimes initial capital letters.) one of a group of white male writers, scientists, or other historical figures whose works have traditionally dominated the field or been a disproportionate part of the school curriculum in the West: : DWM

   to expand the literary canon of dead white males to include important works by women.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead white male¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Recently in the Times, Dwight Garner remarked that five years after his death, “Updike seems like a Very Dead White Male indeed.”

From The Daily Beast