ladder theory

noun

An informal model of how men and women evaluate romantic/sexual relationships differently. Men are said to rank women on a single scale according to attractiveness, while women separate potential sexual partners and non-sexual friends into two separate scales.

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Meanings

noun
  1. An informal model of how men and women evaluate romantic/sexual relationships differently. Men are said to rank women on a single scale according to attractiveness, while women separate potential sexual partners and non-sexual friends into two separate scales.
Cite this entry
APA

ladder theory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ladder%20theory

MLA

“ladder theory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ladder%20theory. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ladder theory,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ladder%20theory.

Source: ladder theory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.