Is emasculated a sexist word?

Question

The dictionary definition of emasculated is "(of a man) deprived of his male role or identity." or "made weaker or less effective"

So, I'm a guy, and I'm not entirely sure what it means to be deprived of a man's role or identity. Does it mean to not feel manly? Does this word have to do with gender norms? The reason I thought the word was sexist is because it says "man's role".

I found a sentence example saying, "He was worried his pink pants would emasculate him a bit, but he wore them anyway." See it seems like it's talking about gender roles.

Answer 1

Sexist, no. Relating to gender norms, most definitely. That doesn't make the word inherently bad though. Rather than referring to odd example sentences, let's take a real-world use case. A few months back, the Welsh standup comic Rhod Gilbert spoke about how he felt emasculated by his infertility

It's easy to understand what he meant: his inability to be a (biological) father made him feel less of a man. There is no assertion, or implication, that in order to be a man, you have to be, or at least be capable of becoming, a biological father. Just that that's how the experience led him to feel about himself. The word "emasculated" is usefully describing his emotions there, but I don't think anyone could reasonably claim that he's using it in a way that is sexist, or that is taking any particular stance about gender roles, other than honestly reflecting his emotional responses that are shaped by them.

Answer 2

The literal meaning of “emasculated” is castrated, although that’s no longer a polite way to refer to someone. Figuratively, you’re right: it means that a man has lost his male role, or been disempowered.

What is or isn’t sexist in what context is a complicated question, but I’d avoid calling someone else “emasculated” or “emasculating.” It would be taken as an insult. The examples you give of polite usage are variations on, “He himself felt less masculine, but he shouldn’t have worried.”