WHITESPLAIN

What Does WHITESPLAIN Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

WHITESPLAIN means "A White Person Condescendingly Explaining Racial Issues to a Member of an Ethnic Minority."

More Observations...

It is widely used on social media and in the mainstream press to describe a white person condescendingly, unnecessarily and often incorrectly, explaining racial issues to member of an ethnic community. WHITESPLAIN is a combination of the words "White" and "Explain." It was inspired by the term Mansplain, which has also given rise to an ever-growing list of similar terms, including:

• Gaysplain - A gay person condescendingly explaining gay issues.
• Grammarsplain - A grammar enthusiast condescendingly explaining the intricacies of grammar (especially to a language teacher).
• Journosplain - A journalist condescendingly explaining a complicated issue to a subject matter expert (e.g., a scientist).
• Queersplain - A queer person condescendingly explaining queer issues.

Image for WHITESPLAIN

When I write WHITESPLAIN, I mean this:

"A White Person Condescendingly Explaining Racial Issues to a Member of an Ethnic Minority"

Summary of Key Points

"A White Person Condescendingly Explaining Racial Issues to a Member of an Ethnic Minority" is, by far, the most common meaning for WHITESPLAIN when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

WHITESPLAIN
Definition:	A White Person Condescendingly Explaining Racial Issues to a Member of an Ethnic Minority
Type:	Word
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at WHITESPLAIN

As it is formed by merging two words into one, WHITESPLAIN is a portmanteau word. It is a combination of the words White and Explain. WHITESPLAIN is also a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or term which has emerged into everyday usage). Some neologisms are formally accepted into mainstream language (at which point, they cease to be neologisms), and some wither until they can longer be considered everyday terms. A neologism can be:

• A completely new word (e.g., oversharers).
• A new combination of existing words (e.g., digital detox).
• A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., sick).

Example of WHITESPLAIN Used in a Text

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