fair sex
Ladies, old-fashionedly speaking
Fair sex is an old-fashioned term for women collectively, treating femininity as inherently delicate or decorative: He was always nervous around the fair sex.
The phrase sounds quaint or condescending to modern ears, surviving mainly in ironic or period-piece contexts.
Women, respectfully addressed
- gentlewomenWomen of noble birth
- damselsYoung unmarried women
- womenfolkFemale family members collectively
- womankindFemales as a group
femininity · delicacy · refinement · elegance · gracefulness · modesty · virtue · gentility
Women, respectfully addressed
- womenFemale adults collectively
- femalesMembers of that sex
- femininityFemale nature or character
- gentlenessSoft, kind demeanor
softness · grace · charm · beauty · daintiness · delicacy · coyness · modesty
Male-dominated social order
- stereotypingOversimplified group-based judgments
- objectificationReducing humans to things
- essentialismDoctrine of fixed natures
- binaryConsisting of two parts
outdated · problematic · reclamation · empowerment · suffrage · equality · sisterhood · matriarchy
ladies
Women, respectfully addressed
- gentlewomenWomen of noble birth
- damselsYoung unmarried women
- womenfolkFemale family members collectively
womankind · femininity · delicacy · refinement · elegance · gracefulness · modesty · virtue · gentility · propriety
ladies
Women, respectfully addressed
- womenFemale adults collectively
- femalesMembers of that sex
- femininityFemale nature or character
gentleness · softness · grace · charm · beauty · daintiness · delicacy · coyness · modesty · politeness
patriarchy
Male-dominated social order
- stereotypingOversimplified group-based judgments
- objectificationReducing humans to things
- essentialismDoctrine of fixed natures
binary · outdated · problematic · reclamation · empowerment · suffrage · equality · sisterhood · matriarchy · activism