What term describes the phenomenon where one term is viewed less positively than its parallel counterpart?

The term that accurately describes the phenomenon where one term is viewed less positively than its parallel counterpart is semantic derogation. This concept is critical in understanding how language can reflect and perpetuate societal attitudes and biases. For example, the terms "master" and "mistress" have significantly different connotations, with "master" often being viewed more positively, while "mistress" can carry negative implications. Semantic derogation highlights not just the difference in meaning, but also the underlying gender or cultural biases that can devalue one term in comparison to another.

Semantic imbalance, gender bias, and gender neutralization are related concepts but do not specifically capture the essence of one term being viewed negatively compared to another. Semantic imbalance may refer more broadly to the unequal weight or frequency of terms without the specific evaluative component. Gender bias involves prejudiced attitudes or behaviors based on gender but doesn't specifically address the semantic aspect. Gender neutralization focuses on replacing gendered terms with non-gendered alternatives, which does not pertain directly to the phenomenon of one term being less positively viewed than its counterpart.