gentle sex

American  

Or gentler sex

noun

Older Use: Sometimes Offensive.

1. women in general (usually used facetiously).

   courtesy toward the gentle sex.

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Sensitive Note

This is a dated term, usually used for humorous effect but sometimes perceived as condescending to women. It makes reference to a stereotype of women’s basic nature, namely that women are gentle in comparison to men.

Etymology

Origin of gentle sex

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gentle sex

In writing of authors of the gentle sex, his ink-pot became a pot of honey.

From The Dreamer A Romantic Rendering of the Life-Story of Edgar Allan Poe by Stanard, Mary Newton

"You see, there are no women in our country; and six months without a word or a smile from your gentle sex makes a man ready to hate himself and his fellow-creatures."

From The Silver Horde by Beach, Rex Ellingwood

As a lady's companion he is hard to beat; indeed, a glance at any show catalogue will prove that the majority of Borzois are owned by the gentle sex.

From Dogs and All about Them by Leighton, Robert

And the gentle sex, especially, would and did tell fortunes almost as jealously as play quadrille and piquet.

From The Square of Sevens An Authoritative Method of Cartomancy with a Prefatory Note by Prime-Stevenson, Edward

My fellow-voyagers were mostly French, some of them of the gentle sex, and chattered like pies until they fell asleep.

From Romantic Spain A Record of Personal Experiences (Vol. II) by O'Shea, John Augustus