chauvinism
n. excessive favoritism toward a social, political, or ethnic group. Initially, the word referred to extreme patriotism, as it derives from the name of a French soldier (Nicolas Chauvin) who displayed excessive devotion to Napoleon; now, however, it is often used to mean the mistaken belief that men are superior to women (male chauvinism). —chauvinistic
adj.
—chauvinist
n.