# sexism

/ˈsɛksɪzəm/ (US) · /sˈɛksɪzəm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sexism
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unfair treatment

noun · CEFR B2

unfair treatment or discrimination against someone because of their sex, especially against women.

For teachers: prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex or gender, typically against women and girls. Uncountable in its general sense, though specific instances may be countable.

- She faced sexism at work when her boss only promoted the men in the office.
- The report highlighted systemic sexism within the industry, noting that female candidates were consistently overlooked for leadership roles despite having superior qualifications.

### 2. the belief in superiority

noun · CEFR B2

the belief that one sex is naturally better or more important than the other.

For teachers: the ideological belief that members of one sex are inherently superior or should adhere to specific stereotypical roles.

- The old laws were based on sexism and the idea that women should stay home.
- The author argues that deep-seated sexism continues to influence how society views domestic labour and childcare responsibilities.

## Examples

- She faced sexism when applying for the engineering job.
- The company introduced new training programs to help employees recognize and stop casual sexism in the office.
- While overt sexism has declined in many professional environments, researchers still observe subtle biases that prevent women from reaching the highest levels of corporate leadership.

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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.