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

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 • Sep. 3, 2018