MANSPLAIN

What Does MANSPLAIN Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

MANSPLAIN means "A Man Condescendingly Explaining Something to a Woman."

More Observations...

It is widely used in the mainstream press and on social media to describe a man condescendingly, unnecessarily and often incorrectly, explaining something to a woman. MANSPLAIN is a combination of the words "Man" and "Explain." It is widely believed to have been inspired by a 2008 Los Angeles Times op-ed article titled "Men Who Explain Things," written by Rebecca Solnit. In the article, Solnit explained her personal experience of being patronized by a male friend (although she didn't explicitly use the term MAINSPLAIN). The popularity of MANSPLAIN has given rise to an ever-growing list of similar terms, including:

Fitsplain - A gym or fitness class member condescendingly explaining fitness training.
Gaysplain - A gay person condescendingly explaining gay issues.
Journosplain - A journalist condescendingly explaining a complicated issue to a subject matter expert (e.g., a scientist).
Queersplain - A queer person condescendingly explaining queer issues.
Straightsplain - A straight person explaining LGBT issues to a gay person.
Trumpsplain - A supporter of former president Trump defending his record.
Whitesplain - A white person explaining racial issues to a member of an ethnic minority.

Image for MANSPLAIN

When I write MANSPLAIN, I mean this:

"A man condescendingly explaining women's issues to a woman"

Summary of Key Points

"A man condescendingly explaining women's issues to a woman" is, by far, the most common meaning for MANSPLAIN when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

MANSPLAIN
Definition:	A man condescendingly explaining women's issues to a woman
Type:	Word
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at MANSPLAIN

As it is formed by merging two words into one, MANSPLAIN is a portmanteau word. It is a combination of the words Man and Explain. MANSPLAIN is now so widely recognized that it can no longer be considered a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or term which has emerged into everyday usage).