chilly climate

English

Etymology

chilly (“unfriendly or distant and cool”) + climate (“the context in general of a particular situation”)

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Noun

chilly climate (plural chilly climates)

1. (idiomatic) A male-dominated environment where both overt and subtle forms of discrimination lead to the unequal treatment of women
   • 2008, Kimberly Turner Helms, Self-reflection During Transition to College, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, page 39:

     A chilly climate is not conducive for women students' learning...

   • 2012, Margaret W Sallee, “The Individual and the Institution”, in On Becoming a Scholar: Socialization and Development in Doctoral Education, page 141:

     Most frequently, issues of chilly climate are noted among women pursuing doctorates in the sciences and engineering.