mansplaining
/ˈmænˌspleɪnɪŋ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act of condescendingly explaining something, particularly by a man to a woman, in order to appear knowledgeable, or from a mistaken presumption that she has an inferior understanding of the topic.
Derogatory; Slang; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Mansplaining isn't just the act of explaining while male, of course; many men manage to explain things every day without in the least insulting their listeners... Mansplaining is when a dude tells you, a woman, how to do something you already know how to do, or how you are wrong about something you are actually right about, or miscellaneous and inaccurate "facts" about something you know a hell of a lot more about than he does."
- "It's hard to appreciate the full pathological depths of mansplaining unless you've read late-period Heinlein, an experience comparable to being trapped in an elevator for six hours with a boorish know-it-all offering his theories on economics, politics, sex, aesthetics, military strategy, investing and myriad other topics."
- "“Cognitive therapy” is the fancy clinical term for what is otherwise known as “mansplaining.”"
Etymology
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmænˌspleɪnɪŋ/
- British English: /ˈmanˌspleɪnɪŋ/