Maledom

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Social or political control exercised by men over women, especially as a system of power and privilege ; a sexual or erotic arrangement in which a man assumes the controlling, dominant role over a partner
2. The domination of women by men within a society or institution ; a relationship or erotic dynamic in which the male partner takes charge and holds the dominant position
3. Male power and authority over women as a structural feature of social life ; a consensual sexual practice where a man deliberately adopts the controlling role in an encounter

Etymology: The word is built from two parts that were both already in English. "Male" comes from Latin "masculus", a diminutive of "mas", while "-dom" is an old Germanic suffix that once meant something like "state, condition or jurisdiction", as in "kingdom" or "freedom". Put together, the pieces point to a lordship or domain held by men. The second element carries the older sense. In Old English, "-dom" attached to nouns to name a state or realm, so combining it with "male" produces a word for male domination, the power a group of men holds over others. Its meaning is therefore literal and transparent: it names a structure of rule rather than a single act or person.