manosphere
/MAN-uh-sfeer/noun
Meaning
A broad, informal label for websites, forums, social-media accounts, podcasts and other online communities focused on men, masculinity, dating, relationships or gender politics. The term is often used critically for spaces that promote antifeminist, misogynistic or rigid ideas about gender, but it can also cover more mainstream self-improvement, fitness or men's-health content.[1][2][3]
- 1. The loosely connected online ecosystem of communities and creators focused on masculinity, men's issues, dating and gender relations.
- 2. The subset of that ecosystem associated with antifeminism, male supremacy, misogyny or antagonistic ideas about women.
- 3. A collective label for related subcultures such as men's-rights activists, pickup artists, incels, Men Going Their Own Way and red-pill communities.
Examples
“This comment section is drifting into the manosphere.”
“He found fitness advice, then got pulled into the manosphere.”
“Calling every men's forum the manosphere can flatten very different groups.”
“That podcast borrows a lot of manosphere language about dating and status.”
Origin and spread
Manosphere is an English formation from man and sphere. Research describes the term as having emerged around 2009 and later grouping together several online communities focused on men's issues, including pickup artists, men's-rights activists, incels and Men Going Their Own Way.
How to use it
Manosphere is usually a critical or analytical term, not a neutral name that members of every included community use for themselves. It can describe a recognizable ecosystem without claiming that all male-focused spaces share one ideology. Use care when applying it to ordinary men's-health, fitness or support groups, since the label often implies antifeminism or misogyny and is sometimes criticized as overly broad.
Sources
- 1. Ribeiro et al. — The Evolution of the Manosphere Across the WebSupports: meaning.
- 2. What is the manosphere: Key terms, meanings, and why it matters — Government of CanadaSupports: meaning.
- 3. Manosphere — WikipediaSupports: meaning.
- 4. Manosfera — Wikipedia en españolSupports: form.
