femininity
Americannoun
-
the quality of being feminine
-
womanhood
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of femininity
First recorded in 1350–1400, femininity is from the Middle English word femininite. See feminine, -ity
Compare meaning
How does femininity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Femininity is a quality of acting in a typically womanly, girlish, or feminine way. Different cultures have different ideas of what femininity looks like. If you're a gentle, sweet-natured person, your grandmother may praise your femininity. You might argue, however, that your brother is even sweeter and more soft-spoken than you are. Society has a particular idea and definition of exactly what femininity is, but this varies widely for individual women. Femininity comes from the adjective feminine, "relating to women," from the Latin femina, "woman."
Vocabulary lists containing femininity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“It’s a modern kind of feminism that embraces self assurance and femininity on your own terms.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In Ancient Egypt, pharaohs and noblewomen wore embellished braided wigs to show power, and in the Middle Ages, women's long hair became associated with femininity and virtue.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
"I always sort of go back to classic actresses in the way that they could sort of toe a line between extreme femininity and just rock hard will and grit," she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Tradwives and mommy bloggers are characterized by a cartoonishly slick and sanctimonious femininity; they perform choreographed dances with obedient children, bake sourdough bread, offer prayers and affiliate codes in the same breath.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Hanging on to femininity was a concrete way to express your womanhood.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Masculinities and femininities are being made and remade as polarised species.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2014
When feminism fades, femininities are taken to extremes.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2014
And as a bee usually winds up with festivity, feasting, dancing, and the like, such femininities as the district possessed were brought over by their respective husbands or male relatives.
From Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2) or Settler and Maori in Northern New Zealand by William Delisle Hay
Once he had been on the verge of sounding Maurice in regard to Madame, Maurice was so learned in femininities; but this would have been an acknowledgment of his ignorance, and pride closed his mouth.
From The Puppet Crown by Harold MacGrath
Agni comprehends not only all naturalistic gods, but such later femininities as Reverence, Mercy, and other abstractions, including Boundlessness.
From The Religions of India Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume 1, Edited by Morris Jastrow by Edward Washburn Hopkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
