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gender role

[jen-der rohl]

noun

  1. the culturally determined set of behaviors, attitudes, and traits that are considered acceptable for a person based on their gender.

    A woman earning her own living cuts against the traditional gender role where men expect to provide for women.

  2. the outward image of being a particular gender that a person presents to others.

    The hospital houses people according to the gender role they live as rather than their legal gender.



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Word History and Origins

Origin of gender role1

First recorded in 1950–55
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Fewer opportunities exist for dads even as gender roles continue to evolve and men spend more time on the care of their children.

From

In other words: Do the gender roles again, a growing contingent of Americans seems to believe, and the prosperity will return!

From

“I didn’t want to simply relocate within compulsory heterosexual gender roles,” she writes.

From

There are all sorts of differences between male and female kidneys, from the impact of testosterone to the biological effects of behavioral differences resulting from gender roles.

From

Republican men really mean all this talk about strict gender roles, and women in their party are starting to pay a personal price.

From

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When To Use

are gender roles?

A gender role is a way of appearing and behaving that meets cultural expectations based on an individual’s gender. Traditionally, people have been expected to fit into either a male or female gender role.Gender is an individual’s identification as male, female, or another identification that exists between or beyond the spectrum of strictly male or female (such as people who identify as nonbinary). A role is a function or expected behavior pattern. The term gender role is used (especially in the plural form gender roles) to specifically refer to societal expectations of engaging in either stereotypical masculine behavior or stereotypical feminine behavior.Gender roles have become a source of controversy and criticism, and many people have sought to eliminate the need to adhere to them. This is due to the perception that they limit personal freedom, especially as the cultural understanding of gender has moved away from a strict separation between male and female.

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gender revealgender-specific