dead white male

American  

[ded hwahyt meyl, wahyt] / ˈdɛd ˈʰwaɪt ˈmeɪl, ˈwaɪt /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of dead white male

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

It was that she never questioned her right to live her life exactly as she saw fit, to make it up as she went along in the great tradition of all those dead white male artists she worshiped.

From Salon

This was a direct hit at her dead father, Sir Leslie Stephen, the Victorian patriarch who had been the editor of the Dictionary of National Biography, a dead white male heterosexual enterprise.

From The Guardian

An American icon is under attack and, for a change, it isn’t a dead white male.

From The Wall Street Journal

Children should be exposed to diverse examples of scientists that go beyond the typical dead, White, male scientists usually presented in classrooms.

From Scientific American

Others may question whether at this point in our cultural life, when we’re openly wrestling with issues of diversity and inclusiveness, we should still be polishing the crown of this long-reigning Dead White Male Author.

From Los Angeles Times