411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Cinderella complex
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
From the title of a book by Colette Dowling, The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence (1981). Named after the girl from the fairy-tale Cinderella, who is rescued from her life of poverty and mistreatment by a prince.
Pronunciation
en LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Cinderella complex.wav US
Noun
The situation where a woman has an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others, and thus requires help from some outside force, usually a man.
en eponyms
en Feminism