male as norm

noun

The principle that holds that grammatical and lexical devices such as the use of the feminine suffix -ess and the use of man to mean human strengthen the perceptions that the male category is the norm, and that corresponding female categories are thus less important.

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Meanings

nounmale as norm (uncountable)
  1. uncountablefeminismThe principle that holds that grammatical and lexical devices such as the use of the feminine suffix -ess and the use of man to mean human strengthen the perceptions that the male category is the norm, and that corresponding female categories are thus less important.
Cite this entry
APA

male as norm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male%20as%20norm

MLA

“male as norm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male%20as%20norm. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “male as norm,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/male%20as%20norm.

Source: male as norm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.