Antifeminism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Opposition to feminism or the belief that feminist movements and ideals are misguided or harmful
2. Active resistance to feminist activism and the belief that gender-based equality movements are counterproductive or flawed
3. ideological opposition to feminist movements, principles, and efforts to advance gender equality through feminist advocacy

Etymology: Antifeminism is simply "anti-" attached to "feminism," and the most useful thing to know is the Greek prefix. "Anti" comes from the Greek "antí," meaning "against" or "opposite to," and English has used it as a productive prefix for centuries to mark opposition, so that "antifeminism" reads as "against feminism" in the most literal sense. The base word carries the more interesting history. "Feminism" came into English from French "féminisme," which was formed from Latin "femina" (woman) plus the suffix "-ism," a Greek-derived ending meaning a doctrine, movement or practice. Its roots run back through Italic and Indo-European forms meaning "woman" and "one who is female," so the word is built from very old material even though its modern formation is recent. Because "feminism" was itself a late coinage in English, "antifeminism" is a later formation still, following the pattern of "anti-" words built on established terms.

Synonyms: anti-feminist movement

Antonyms: feminism