sexist

The word "sexist" is a modern formation, coined in the mid-20th century during the rise of the feminist movement. It is constructed by combining the noun "sex," referring to the biological distinction between male and female, with the suffix "-ist," which denotes an adherent to a particular practice or doctrine. The model follows established patterns like "racist," applying the concept of prejudice based on a specific category. Thus, the literal construction "one concerned with (or prejudiced by) sex" evolved directly into the modern abstract meaning denoting discrimination based on gender.

Structure: sex (biological category) + ist (adherent or practitioner) - sex: From Latin sexus (state of being male or female, gender). In this compound, it denotes the concept of biological sex or gender. - ist: A suffix of Greek origin (via Latin -ista, Greek -istēs), forming agent nouns denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles.