"Stepford" meaning in English

See Stepford in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Etymology: From the fictional place name Stepford. After the fictional suburb in the 1972 novel The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, and in two films of the same name based on the novel. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} Stepford (not comparable)
  1. Docile, unthinking and conformist. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Personality
    Sense id: en-Stepford-en-adj-rVXRIssS Disambiguation of Personality: 63 4 6 12 14
  2. Attractive but lacking any character. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-Stepford-en-adj-k9vvlbeQ
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: Deppford wife, Stepfordian, Stepford wife
Etymology number: 2

Proper name

Forms: Stepfords [plural]
Etymology: From step + ford. Etymology templates: {{af|en|step|ford}} step + ford Head templates: {{en-proper noun|~}} Stepford (countable and uncountable, plural Stepfords)
  1. A surname. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-Stepford-en-name-EMUC1F3L
  2. A place name: Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Feminism, Fictional locations
    Sense id: en-Stepford-en-name-w3mmrt77 Disambiguation of Feminism: 1 4 2 48 45 Disambiguation of Fictional locations: 1 4 1 48 45 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 4 2 48 46 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 3 3 48 45 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 5 2 47 45
  3. A place name:
    A locality in Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NX8681).
    Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Feminism, Fictional locations Categories (place): Places in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, Places in Scotland, Villages in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, Villages in Scotland
    Sense id: en-Stepford-en-name-gvrrnZ8X Disambiguation of Feminism: 1 4 2 48 45 Disambiguation of Fictional locations: 1 4 1 48 45 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 4 2 48 46 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 1 3 3 48 45 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 5 2 47 45
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "step",
        "3": "ford"
      },
      "expansion": "step + ford",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From step + ford.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Stepfords",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "Stepford (countable and uncountable, plural Stepfords)",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "id": "en-Stepford-en-name-EMUC1F3L",
      "links": [
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 2 48 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 3 3 48 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 5 2 47 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 2 48 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Feminism",
          "orig": "en:Feminism",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "Gender",
            "Ideologies",
            "Society",
            "Sociology",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Politics",
            "All topics",
            "Social sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 1 48 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fictional locations",
          "orig": "en:Fictional locations",
          "parents": [
            "Fiction",
            "Artistic works",
            "Art",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A place name"
      ],
      "id": "en-Stepford-en-name-w3mmrt77",
      "links": [
        [
          "place name",
          "place name"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "A place name:"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Places in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
          "orig": "en:Places in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
          "parents": [
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            "Names",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental",
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            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Places in Scotland",
          "orig": "en:Places in Scotland",
          "parents": [
            "Places",
            "Names",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Villages in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
          "orig": "en:Villages in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
          "parents": [
            "Villages",
            "Places",
            "Polities",
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            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "place",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Villages in Scotland",
          "orig": "en:Villages in Scotland",
          "parents": [
            "Villages",
            "Places",
            "Polities",
            "Names",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
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            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 2 48 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 3 3 48 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 5 2 47 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 2 48 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Feminism",
          "orig": "en:Feminism",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "Gender",
            "Ideologies",
            "Society",
            "Sociology",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Politics",
            "All topics",
            "Social sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 4 1 48 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fictional locations",
          "orig": "en:Fictional locations",
          "parents": [
            "Fiction",
            "Artistic works",
            "Art",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A place name:",
        "A locality in Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NX8681)."
      ],
      "id": "en-Stepford-en-name-gvrrnZ8X",
      "links": [
        [
          "place name",
          "place name"
        ],
        [
          "Dumfries and Galloway",
          "Dumfries and Galloway#English"
        ],
        [
          "Scotland",
          "Scotland#English"
        ],
        [
          "OS",
          "OS"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "Stepford"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "From the fictional place name Stepford. After the fictional suburb in the 1972 novel The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, and in two films of the same name based on the novel.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Stepford (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Deppford wife"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Stepfordian"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Stepford wife"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "63 4 6 12 14",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Personality",
          "orig": "en:Personality",
          "parents": [
            "Mind",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Mary Higgins Clark, We'll Meet Again, page 131:",
          "text": "“He called you a boring Stepford wife.”\nA boring Stepford wife, Molly thought. For a moment it seemed to her that she was once more in prison, eating the tasteless food, hearing the click of locks, lying awake for sleepless night after sleepless night.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Karin Tabke, Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa, page 150:",
          "text": "So, when in a dorky Christmas town with Stepford people and themed shops, do as they do. Smile and act like you gave two shits about the person next to you.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 July 18, Matt Culkin, “The 16 Most Hilariously Dishonest Old School Advertisements”, Cracked.com",
          "text": "Were the Nazis trying to infiltrate the U.S. Navy with an army of gonorrhea-infected Stepford clones?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Docile, unthinking and conformist."
      ],
      "id": "en-Stepford-en-adj-rVXRIssS",
      "links": [
        [
          "Docile",
          "docile"
        ],
        [
          "unthinking",
          "unthinking"
        ],
        [
          "conformist",
          "conformist"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1993, Bentley Little, The Summoning, New York: Kensington Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 170:",
          "text": "The woman seated behind the table looked up at him, smiling a Stepford smile. \"Would you like to buy a chance to win a new Blazer? It's only five dollars.\" Rich shook his head, moved away from the table. \"Not today.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Attractive but lacking any character."
      ],
      "id": "en-Stepford-en-adj-k9vvlbeQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "Attractive",
          "attractive"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ira Levin",
    "The Stepford Wives"
  ],
  "word": "Stepford"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms derived from fiction",
    "English terms derived from toponyms",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Feminism",
    "en:Fictional locations",
    "en:Personality"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "step",
        "3": "ford"
      },
      "expansion": "step + ford",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From step + ford.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Stepfords",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "Stepford (countable and uncountable, plural Stepfords)",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ],
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        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A place name"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "place name",
          "place name"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "A place name:"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Places in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
        "en:Places in Scotland",
        "en:Villages in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland",
        "en:Villages in Scotland"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A place name:",
        "A locality in Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NX8681)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "place name",
          "place name"
        ],
        [
          "Dumfries and Galloway",
          "Dumfries and Galloway#English"
        ],
        [
          "Scotland",
          "Scotland#English"
        ],
        [
          "OS",
          "OS"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "Stepford"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from fiction",
    "English terms derived from toponyms",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Feminism",
    "en:Fictional locations",
    "en:Personality"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "From the fictional place name Stepford. After the fictional suburb in the 1972 novel The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, and in two films of the same name based on the novel.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Stepford (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Deppford wife"
    },
    {
      "word": "Stepfordian"
    },
    {
      "word": "Stepford wife"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, Mary Higgins Clark, We'll Meet Again, page 131:",
          "text": "“He called you a boring Stepford wife.”\nA boring Stepford wife, Molly thought. For a moment it seemed to her that she was once more in prison, eating the tasteless food, hearing the click of locks, lying awake for sleepless night after sleepless night.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Karin Tabke, Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa, page 150:",
          "text": "So, when in a dorky Christmas town with Stepford people and themed shops, do as they do. Smile and act like you gave two shits about the person next to you.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 July 18, Matt Culkin, “The 16 Most Hilariously Dishonest Old School Advertisements”, Cracked.com",
          "text": "Were the Nazis trying to infiltrate the U.S. Navy with an army of gonorrhea-infected Stepford clones?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Docile, unthinking and conformist."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Docile",
          "docile"
        ],
        [
          "unthinking",
          "unthinking"
        ],
        [
          "conformist",
          "conformist"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1993, Bentley Little, The Summoning, New York: Kensington Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 170:",
          "text": "The woman seated behind the table looked up at him, smiling a Stepford smile. \"Would you like to buy a chance to win a new Blazer? It's only five dollars.\" Rich shook his head, moved away from the table. \"Not today.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Attractive but lacking any character."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Attractive",
          "attractive"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ira Levin",
    "The Stepford Wives"
  ],
  "word": "Stepford"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Stepford meaning in English (4.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.