sexist

American  

[sek-sist] / ˈsɛk sɪst /

adjective

1. relating to, involving, or fostering sexism, or attitudes and behavior toward someone based on the person's gender.

   a sexist remark;

   sexist advertising.

2. relating to discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex or gender, especially such discrimination directed against women.

   A sexist work culture contributes to restricted job opportunities for women.

3. reflecting or exhibiting ingrained or institutionalized prejudice against women.

4. reflecting or exhibiting hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women; misogynistic.

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noun

1. a person who has sexist attitudes or behaves in a sexist manner.

Etymology

Origin of sexist

First recorded in 1965–70; sex + -ist, on the model of racist ( def. )

Explanation

A sexist is someone who discriminates on the basis of gender. Sexist people and laws are unfair. Like racist and homophobic, this word refers to a type of hatred or discrimination: in this case, on the basis of gender. Usually, sexist people and laws discriminate against women. Back when women couldn't vote, wear pants, or own property, you could say that the world was pretty sexist. Likewise, before all-women Vassar College began admitting men, it was accused of having sexist policies. Treating a man or woman differently just because they're male or female is sexist.

Example Sentences

Denver Quarterly evidently bars material that lays bare social evils, since “we do not tolerate submissions that contain hate speech, bigotry, discrimination, or racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist language or violence of any kind.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

If the narrative that Gen Z is uniquely progressive were true, we would expect Gen Z–ers to be more progressive than older generations by outright rejecting sexist statements.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026

Or, as Kilmartin puts it: “It’s a show where you can see a ton of great, experienced female and nonbinary comics, one after the other. Not a single lazy, sexist dud in the bunch.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Recommendations like these may not seem overtly sexist.

From Salon • Sep. 22, 2025

Then the video opens on Patrice, who says, “A microaggression is when someone says or does something that they might not even know is racist or sexist, but it is.”

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

• bigoted
• discriminatory
• dogmatic
• intolerant
• intransigent
• one-sided
• opinionated
• racist
• xenophobic