heightism

noun

height·ism ˈhīt-ˌi-zəm

÷ˈhīt-ˌthi-

: unfair treatment based on height

especially : prejudice or discrimination against short people

In college, I learned that Fortune 500 CEOs and US presidents are on average 3 inches taller than the average American man, and that every inch of height amounts to a salary increase of almost $800 a year. By the time I landed my first real job it hit me: heightism, a form of discrimination based on height, is as prominent in Western culture as the high-heeled shoe. —

Sasha Ginnetti, Hyphen, Summer 2007

heightist

ˈhīt-ist

÷ˈhīt-thist

adjective

heightist notions

He wears the suit with careless grace, being not only lean and athletically built but also—at five feet eleven—tall enough. (Call me heightist, but I've always believed that a hero should come up higher than your armpit.) —

Vicki Woods, Vogue, March 1997

heightist noun

plural heightists

A woman I know named Shani … is happily married to a man who's 5-foot-3, 2 inches shorter than she. A couple of Shani's female friends are avowed "heightists" with regard to men. —

Kerry Keene, The Boston Globe, 25 May 2008