English Reference
adjective · noun

sexist

adj. · n.
US /ˈsɛksɪst/ UK /sˈɛksɪst/ sex·ist UK spelling sexists

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.treating someone unfairly or thinking they are less capable because of their sex.

    adj.characterised by or showing prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.

    Simple

    The manager was criticised for making sexist comments about his female employees.

    In context

    The company faced a lawsuit after several employees reported a sexist culture that systematically blocked women from reaching executive positions.

    Usage

    Commonly modifies nouns like 'remark', 'attitude', 'joke', or 'policy'.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n. a person who believes that one sex is better than the other or treats people unfairly based on sex.

    n.a person who discriminates on the grounds of sex or subscribes to sexist ideologies.

    Simple

    He didn't realise he was being a sexist when he assumed she couldn't fix the car.

    In context

    The politician was labelled a sexist by the press after he dismissed his opponent's arguments as mere emotional outbursts.

    Usage

    Often used as a pejorative label in social and political discourse.

    chauvinistbigot

The article titled Why We Can’t Forget Meg White – And the Sexist Way We Talked About Her was published in 2016, not 2006 as an earlier version stated.

The Guardian· 24 Aug 2026

From sex + -ist, after sexism.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated