What Is Mansplaining?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mansplaining is a term used to describe when a man explains something to a woman with the mistaken assumption that he knows more about the topic (1). 

Not all men are mansplainers, but many do it at some point — usually unintentionally. Those who actively go out of their way to talk over a woman because they think they know better may also be guilty of sexism.

Such men incorrectly assume they have superior intelligence to their female counterparts. Fortunately, most men don’t think this way and respect the women around them. 

What Are the Origins of Mansplaining?

Mansplaining has existed for a long time; many women would likely argue it’s existed since the emergence of the language. However, the first description of the phenomenon belongs to Rebecca Solnit and a portion of her essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” published on April 13, 2008, in the LA Times (2). 

While the word doesn't appear, the essay evaluates how men often arrogantly speak to women. In 2014, she published her piece alongside six other essays in a book of the same title.

Know Your Meme suggests the term emerged on May 21, 2008, in the comments section of an internet discussion group (3). It is unclear whether this comment (now removed) was in light of Solnit’s work or just a coincidence.

Examples of Mansplaining

There have been many historical examples that predate the term and Solnit’s essay on mansplaining. One such written example is John Adams’ letter to his wife in 1776, where he clearly shows that he thinks he understands better about being a wife than she does — cue eye roll. It was a response to her expressed views on husbands having too much control over their wives (The Atlantic, 2012) (5).

Another example of mansplaining appears in an article from The Atlantic written in 1903 (6). The (male) author was critical of the suffragette movement and claimed to speak to the women who did not support it. Again, the author’s tone suggests he knew more about women’s experiences than actual women.

Social networking sites like X (formerly Twitter) and forums such as Mumsnet are rife with personal stories about everyday instances of mansplainers. 

For example, one woman claimed that a male colleague wrongly corrected her pronunciation of a sports star’s name from her home country, where she grew up and spoke the native language (Mumsnet, 2024) (7). 

How to Deal With Mansplaining: A Womens Guide

Today, mansplaining has become a grievance for many women at work and at home. While most men don’t intentionally set out to mansplain, few things will annoy a woman faster than a man explaining something she knows.

One approach to take with a mansplainer is to simply ignore them. This is particularly effective if the issue doesn’t happen regularly. If it becomes a recurring theme, you can try some other methods. 

For example, Forbes recommends that you firmly but politely tell someone you appreciate their input but don’t require additional information. They also suggest using your voice and speak louder than your male colleague (8). 

Using humor effectively alongside these techniques works well, too, although be careful that your message remains clear. Ultimately, make your thoughts known so the man recognizes how you feel.

If dealing with repeat offenders in a professional setting, it may help to start a record of who mansplains and what they said. It may also be worth involving your HR department (Verywell Mind) (9).

Communication is key to successful relationships. When dealing with someone who mansplains at home, discussing and drawing your partner’s attention to when they mansplain is often enough. To reiterate, most men have no idea they do it in the first place; they may just need a small prompt to change their behavior. Meanwhile, others may require a billboard with flashing lights.

References

1. “Mansplain.” Merriam-Webster.com. | https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mansplain
2. Solnit, Rebecca. “Men who explain things.” Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2008 | https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-13-op-solnit13-story.html
3. “Mansplaining.” Know Your Meme, 2012 | https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mansplaining
4. “Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, April 14, 1776” [electronic edition]. Massachusetts Historical Society, April 14, 1776 | https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760414ja&rec=sheet&archive=&hi=&numRecs=&query=&queryid=&start=&tag=&num=10&bc=
5. Rotham, Lily. “A Cultural History of Mainsplaining.” The Atlantic, November 1, 2012 | https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/11/a-cultural-history-of-mansplaining/264380/ 
6. Abbott, Lyman. “Why Women Do Not Wish the Suffrage.” The Atlantic Monthly. Volume 92, No. 551, September 1903 | https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/03sep/0309suffrage.htm
7. @GlobalCitz. “Come & share your mansplaining stories here!” Mumsnet, September 25, 2024 | https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5173518-come-share-your-mansplaining-stories-here?page=2&reply=138555425
8. Hedges, Kristi. “5 Ways To Shut down Mansplaining.” Forbes, February 26, 2018 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2018/02/26/5-ways-to-shut-down-mansplaining/
9. Resnick, Ariane. “How to Deal With Mansplaining at Work.” Verywell Mind, May 7, 2024 | https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-deal-with-mansplaining-at-work-8623256