--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The term ‘female’ is derogatory not…" description: "\"“The term ‘female’ is derogatory not because it emphasises woman’s animality, but because it imprisons her in her sex; and if this sex seems to man to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/simone-de-beauvoir-407_animals_the-term-female-is-derogatory-not-becaus_1454358.jpg" --- # The term ‘female’ is derogatory not because it emphasises… ![“The term ‘female’ is derogatory not because it emphasises woman’s animality, but because it imprisons her in her sex; and if this sex seems to man to be contemptible and inimical even in harmless dumb animals, it is evidently because of the uneasy hostility stirred up in him by woman. Nevertheless…” quote by Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/simone-de-beauvoir-407_animals_the-term-female-is-derogatory-not-becaus_1454358.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/simone-de-beauvoir-407_animals_the-term-female-is-derogatory-not-becaus_1454358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/simone-de-beauvoir-407_animals_the-term-female-is-derogatory-not-becaus_1454358.jpg) > ““The term ‘female’ is derogatory not because it emphasises woman’s animality, but because it imprisons her in her sex; and if this sex seems to man to be contemptible and inimical even in harmless dumb animals, it is evidently because of the uneasy hostility stirred up in him by woman. Nevertheless he wishes to find in biology a justification for this sentiment. The word female brings up in his mind a saraband of imagery – a vast, round ovum engulfs and castrates the agile spermatozoan; the monstrous and swollen termite queen rules over the enslaved males; the female praying mantis and the spider, satiated with love, crush and devour their partners; the bitch in heat runs through the alleys, trailing behind her a wake of depraved odours; the she-monkey presents posterior immodestly and then steals away with hypocritical coquetry; and the most superb wild beasts – the tigress, the lioness, the panther – bed down slavishly under the imperial embrace of the male. Females sluggish, eager, artful, stupid, callous, lustful, ferocious, abased – man projects them all at once upon woman.”” [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that the term “female” is used to imprison women, reflecting male hostility and biological justification for sexism. **In simple terms:** “Female” is a derogatory label that confines women. Key Takeaway Challenge language that reinforces gender oppression. Themes gender language power biology Mood critical analytical Type philosophical feminist When to use this quote - academic discourse - gender studies - activism - education Key Concepts sexism social constructs Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape gender perception? - What alternatives can we use to describe women? A Different Perspective Language alone cannot dismantle deep‑rooted bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Praying mantis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying-mantis/) [Wild beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-beast/) ## Related quotes > [“We can hope to grasp the significance of sexuality only by studying it in its concrete manifestations; and then perhaps the meaning of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/we-can-hope-to-grasp-the-significance-of-sexuality-only-by-studying/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The only B word a female should be called is BEAUTIFUL.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-b-word-a-female-should-be-called-is-beautiful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like going out on a date unless I know the broad a little bit beforehand. 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Trust me the bitches love that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-ybarra/the-only-b-word-you-should-call-a-female-is-beautiful-trust-me-the/) [Marcus Ybarra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-ybarra/) > [The praying mantis. The inventor of the one-night stand. Wham, bam, off with your head, man!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-s/the-praying-mantis-the-inventor-of-the-one-night-stand-wham-bam-off/) [Laura S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-s/) > [What are praying mantis' even praying for? I hope it's something useful like world peace or marriage equality or me opening this pickle jar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-are-praying-mantis-even-praying-for-i-hope-it-s-something-useful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Think about Praying Mantis. The deadliest ninja predator. 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I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The term ‘female’ is derogatory not because it emphasises woman’s animality, but because it imprisons her in her sex; and if this sex seems to man to be contemptible and inimical even in harmless dumb animals, it is evidently because of the uneasy hostility stirred up in him by woman. Nevertheless he wishes to find in biology a justification for this sentiment. The word female brings up in his mind a saraband of imagery – a vast, round ovum engulfs and castrates the agile spermatozoan; the monstrous and swollen termite queen rules over the enslaved males; the female praying mantis and the spider, satiated with love, crush and devour their partners; the bitch in heat runs through the alleys, trailing behind her a wake of depraved odours; the she-monkey presents posterior immodestly and then steals away with hypocritical coquetry; and the most superb wild beasts – the tigress, the lioness, the panther – bed down slavishly under the imperial embrace of the male. 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