MeToo

American  

[mee-too] / ˈmiˈtu /

Also #MeToo or Me Too

noun

1. a social media hashtag of solidarity used by survivors of sexual harassment and sexual assault in a public disclosure of a past or current personal experience in order to demonstrate the prevalence of abuse.

   I never reported my boss because I couldn’t afford to lose my job. #MeToo

2. a social movement drawing attention to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other abuses of authority, especially those resulting from gendered power imbalances in social institutions.

   MeToo is revealing the tragic common thread in the lives of Hollywood stars, short-order cooks, soldiers, prisoners, students, etc.—no corner of society is immune to this epidemic of abuse.

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adjective

1. relating to or noting this social movement: a powerful #MeToo spokesperson;

   the MeToo era;

   a powerful #MeToo spokesperson;

   the Me Too backlash.

verb (used with object)

MeToo’d, MeTooed, MeTooing

1. to identify or accuse (one’s abuser) publicly in a claim of sexual harassment or sexual assault: Everyone warned her that MeTooing the chair of her dissertation committee would ruin her academic career.

   How should celebrities who’ve been MeToo’d make amends and start over?

   Everyone warned her that MeTooing the chair of her dissertation committee would ruin her academic career.

Etymology

Origin of MeToo

Coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, African American civil rights activist (born 1973)

Example Sentences

‘It sends a signal to victims that despite the MeToo movement, we’re still not there in believing victims,’ says Lauren Hersh, director of World Without Exploitation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

After the 2017–2018 MeToo movement, it became easier for survivors to share their stories, and the country grew more protective and understanding towards them.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

The following year, 2018, saw only four of the top 100 films directed by women, but that number had risen to 16 by 2020, following the MeToo movement's momentum.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

While the term was coined in 2006, intimacy coordinators weren't broadly used in the industry until the MeToo Movement shifted cultural norms on sets, highlighting traumatic experiences for actors while filming intimate scenes.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2024

When the public learned about the particularities of Mackris’ deal in April of 2018, the MeToo movement had changed the public’s perception of NDAs as well.

From Slate • Oct. 23, 2024