feminine

[fem-uh-nin]

adjective

1. being or relating to to a woman or girl.

   feminine beauty;

   feminine dress.

2. having qualities traditionally ascribed to women, such as sensitivity or gentleness.

3. effeminate; womanish.

   Growing up, he had been told he had a feminine walk.

4. Grammar.,  noting or pertaining to that one of the three genders of Latin, Greek, German, etc., or one of the two genders of French, Spanish, Hebrew, etc., having among its members most nouns referring to females, as well as other nouns, as Latin stella “star,” or German Zeit “time.”

noun

Grammar.

1. the feminine gender.

2. a noun or other element in or marking the feminine gender.

feminine

/ ˈfɛmɪnɪn /

adjective

1. suitable to or characteristic of a woman

   a feminine fashion

2. possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a woman

3. effeminate; womanish

4. grammar

   1. denoting or belonging to a gender of nouns, occurring in many inflected languages, that includes all kinds of referents as well as some female animate referents

   2. ( as noun )

      German Zeit ``time'' and Ehe ``marriage'' are feminines

Other Word Forms

• femininely adverb
• feminineness noun
• antifeminine adjective
• antifemininely adverb
• antifeminineness noun
• half-feminine adjective
• hyperfeminine adjective
• hyperfemininely adverb
• hyperfeminineness noun
• overfeminine adjective
• overfemininely adverb
• pseudofeminine adjective
• superfeminine adjective
• ultrafeminine adjective
• unfeminine adjective
• unfemininely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of feminine¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English femynyn(e), from Anglo-French, Old French: feminine of adjective feminin, from Latin fēminīnus, equivalent to fēmin(a) “woman” ( fetus ) + -īnus -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of feminine¹

C14: from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina woman

Synonym Study

See female.

Example Sentences

If you’re wondering what’s included in their letters to Santa this year, Jinkx is asking for the dismantling of the patriarchy, the rise of feminine rule and unabashed freedom for androgynous people.

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Given rational training rather than the then-standard collection of feminine accomplishments, women could, Wollstonecraft argued, prove themselves men’s intellectual equals, become companions in marriage, and play a significant role in civic society.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That Seu marries the feminine and the spartan in her space feels intentional — a reflection of the dualities that animate her life and work.

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Ever an innovator in sustainable fashion, this midi skirt from Gabriela Hearst features soft leather in a feminine silhouette but with a raw-cut hem that references the power of nature.

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“By choice, she did not emphasize her feminine qualities,” he wrote, adding that she was secretive and quarrelsome.

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Related Words

• female 
• femalelike www.thesaurus.com
• gentle 
• soft 
• tender 
• womanish 
• womanlike 
• womanly