# gentle sex

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/gentle-sex
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Women generally.

## Examples

- He always tries to be polite to the gentle sex.
- In the literature of the nineteenth century, authors often referred to women as the gentle sex.
- The protagonist maintained an old-fashioned belief that he should always offer his seat to members of the gentle sex.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.