Meanings
plural genderlects
- A dialect associated with a particular gender.
The men who interact with Tenar, including men who speak in the Old Speech, use a genderlect that shows their dominance and superiority.
2001, Laura B. Comoletti, Michael D. C. Drout, “How They Do Things with Words: Language, Power, Gender, and the Priestly Wizards of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Books”, in Children's Literature, volume 29, →DOI, page 1252 more examples
Hiatt has no doubt about the existence of a distinct 'feminine style' or genderlect and even offers a theory of how it arose, which is that the male world of action 'emphasizes events and decisions rather than perceptive observations of people'.
2002, Harold Love, “Gender and authorship”, in Attributing Authorship: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 119The purpose of genderlect theory is to understand the language used by men and women. The first study in genderlect theory is exploring how gender-language patterns are always limiting between women and men. Further research begins with a focus on how different gender language patterns are used by women and men in both written and spoken results.
2017 September, Tatik Irawati, “Analysis of Genderlect Style in Pygmalion”, in Journal of English Education, Lingusitics, and Literature, volume 4, number 1, page 19Synonyms: genderspeak
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA dialect associated with a particular gender.
Origin
From gender + -lect. Coined by American linguist Wayne Dickerson in 1974.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
genderlect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genderlect
“genderlect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genderlect. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “genderlect,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genderlect.
Source: genderlect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.