fair sex
Definition
Noun: - Women collectively: A somewhat old-fashioned and poetic term used to refer to women as a group, often emphasizing traditional ideals of femininity, beauty, or delicacy.
Usage
The term "the fair sex" is a collective noun phrase. It is always used with the definite article "the" and is treated as a singular entity when referring to the group as a whole, though it denotes a plural concept. - It is considered dated and can be perceived as patronizing or stereotypical in modern contexts. Its use today is often ironic, literary, or historical.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Archaic/Historical Context: The term is most commonly found in historical texts, classic literature, or in deliberately archaic speech.
- The knight swore to protect the honor of the fair sex.
- Ironical or Critical Use: It can be used to knowingly critique or highlight outdated attitudes.
- His speech was full of outdated notions about the "fair sex" needing protection.
Variants and Related Words
- Womankind (n): The female human race; women collectively. (More neutral but also somewhat formal/dated.)
- Womanhood (n): The state or period of being a woman; women collectively. (Can be neutral or positive, e.g., "celebrating womanhood").
Synonyms
- Womenfolk: (Informal, dated) The women of a family or community.
- The female sex: A more biological and neutral collective term.
- Ladies: A polite term for women, though context is key to avoid being patronizing.
Antonyms / Contrasting Terms
- The sterner sex: An equally dated term for men as a class.
- Manhood: Men collectively.
Notes on Style and Connotation
- The term "fair" in this context primarily carries the archaic meaning of "beautiful" or "pleasing to the eye," contributing to the term's focus on physical appearance and traditional gender stereotypes.
- Modern, neutral alternatives are simply "women" or "women as a group."
Noun
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women as a class
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it's an insult to American womanhood
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woman is the glory of creation
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the fair sex gathered on the veranda
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