lookism, n. orig. U.S.
Brit. /ˈlʊkɪz(ə)m/, U.S. /ˈlʊˌkɪz(ə)m/
[‹ look n. + -ism suffix.]
Prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of appearance.
| 1978 Washington Post 14 May (Mag. section) 25 They [sc. fat people] are rallying to help each other find sympathetic doctors, happy employers and future mates. They are coining new words (‘lookism’—discrimination based on looks, ‘FA’—Fat Admirer). 1985 San Diego Union Tribune (Nexis) 4 Oct. c3 ‘Lookism’ has emerged as a prejudice as insidious as racism and ageism, and nearly all women feel its effects. 1993 Guardian 31 Dec. ii. 28/4 Santa Cruz city council..debated a motion to outlaw ‘lookism’, the practice of judging people by their looks, on the basis that some faced discrimination because they were ‘cosmetically challenged’. 2000 D. Brooks Bobos in Paradise 191 These high-minded sex journals are easy to distinguish because, to avoid committing the sin of lookism, they prominently feature ugly people having sex. |