Cinderella complex

noun

The situation where a woman has an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others, and thus requires help from some outside force, usually a man.

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Meanings

nounCinderella complex (plural Cinderella complexes)

plural Cinderella complexes

  1. The situation where a woman has an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others, and thus requires help from some outside force, usually a man.

Origin

From the title of a book by Colette Dowling, The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence (1981). Named after the girl from the fairy-tale Cinderella, who is rescued from her life of poverty and mistreatment by a prince.

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Cite this entry
APA

Cinderella complex. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinderella%20complex

MLA

“Cinderella complex.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinderella%20complex. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cinderella complex,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinderella%20complex.

Source: Cinderella complex on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.