male chauvinist

noun

1. a male who patronizes, disparages, or otherwise denigrates females in the belief that they are inferior to males and thus deserving of less than equal treatment or benefit.

Word History and Origins

Origin of male chauvinist¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Related Words

• anti-feminist
• sexist

More About Male Chauvinist

What does male chauvinist mean?

A male chauvinist is a man who disrespects or behaves condescendingly toward women because he believes that women are inferior to men.

Male chauvinist is used disapprovingly, especially in cases where the speaker believes a man consistently and openly mistreats women and acts as if he and all men are superior to women.

Example: You can tell that professor is a real male chauvinist because he never calls on female students in class.

Where does male chauvinist come from?

Chauvinist is a word from French that is first attested in English in the late 1800s. It’s based on a soldier by the name of Nicholas Chauvin, who was most likely fictional. Chauvin was said to be a fanatically patriotic follower of Napoleon Bonaparte, and his name came to be synonymous with overzealous patriotism. This meaning was popularized by Chauvin’s inclusion as a character in the 1831 Vaudeville play La Cocarde Tricolore.

Chauvinist was later extended beyond extreme patriots to refer to someone with a belief in the superiority of their own kind, such as an ethnic group. By the 1930s, it was used in reference to those holding beliefs of gender superiority. Use of male chauvinist spiked after the 1960s, and it went on to become part of the synonymous, disparaging phrase male chauvinist pig. In the U.S., those calling out such behavior today are somewhat more likely to use the term misogynist or sexist.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of male chauvinist?

• male chauvinism

What are some synonyms for male chauvinist?

• sexist
• misogynist
• paternalist
• masculinist

What are some words that often get used in discussing male chauvinist?

• misogyny
• sexism
• patriarchy
• bias
• discrimination
• prejudice

How is male chauvinist used in real life?

Male chauvinist is commonly applied to men who are known for being dismissive of women because they are women. It can also be used as an adjective to describe an institution or process.

TV proposal: a stadium's worth of female footballers get to critique a male chauvinist doing his day job for 90 minutes

— Ian (The Bleak Midwinter) Ford (@ij_ford) June 27, 2019

The brilliantly subversive German/Swiss Surrealist Meret Oppenheim was born #OTD 1913 (d1985): "a woman, in the preponderantly male and male chauvinist world of Surrealism, lined a tea-cup and spoon, symbols of ladylike afternoon rituals, with fur!" – Donna Hunter #WomensArt pic.twitter.com/lGwVyJC0xP

— Ralph Harrington (@ralphharrington) October 6, 2019

This woman has actually changed things for Leading Ladies in BW. From flaunting and walking ramps with baby bump, to flaunting post-prega weight gain to getting back to work and still working. Like that's truly empowering in a male chauvinist Industry! #HappyBirthdayKareena pic.twitter.com/Axuswld0RO

— Anjali✨ (@Mystic_Riverr) September 20, 2019

 

Usage note

Male chauvinist is now the most common use of chauvinist, but chauvinist can still be used to refer to anyone who believes in the superiority of their group over others. In such uses, the group or category of claimed superiority is named before chauvinist. So, for instance, someone who believes that their social status makes them superior to others could be labeled a class chauvinist.