The Brief: Men explaining things to women in a condescending tone.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

“Mansplain” is a blend of the words “man” and “explain”. Mansplaining refers to when a man explains something to a woman in a patronizing or condescending way, especially on a topic that the woman is particularly familiar with.

The word was inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s 2008 essay, Men Explain Things To Me. Mansplain was The New York Times 2010 word of the year, and is popular among feminists.