Standard Lemma guide

mansplain

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • măn′-splān′
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmanˌspleɪn/
  • General-American: /ˈmænˌspleɪn/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: M AE1 N S P L EY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To explain (something) condescendingly (to a female listener), especially to explain something the listener already knows, presuming that she has an inferior understanding of it merely because she is female.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of man + explain, equivalent to man + -splain.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: manspliseer — Translations
  • French: mecspliquer — Translations
  • French: pénispliquer — Translations
  • German: herrklären — Translations
  • German: mansplainen — Translations
  • Hebrew: הִסְגְּבִּיר (hisgbír) — Translations
  • Spanish: machoexplicar — Translations
  • Swedish: mansplaina — Translations