feminine

American  

[fem-uh-nin] / ˈfɛm ə nɪn /

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.”

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noun

Grammar.

1. the feminine gender.

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

feminine British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See female.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of feminine

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

Explanation

Feminine is the opposite of masculine. If it has anything to do with girls and women, it's considered feminine. Anything feminine is associated with females. In American culture, that includes wearing pink, playing with dolls, sporting high heels, and getting weepy during sad movies. Many women find the traditional feminine roles to be sexist and limiting, while many men pick on each other for acting in a stereotypical feminine manner. But ideas about what is feminine are always changing: pants used to only be a masculine thing to wear, for example.

Example Sentences

Horror isn’t my cup of tea, and I do my best to steer clear of feminine rage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

And as off-putting as it may be, this rebellion from pleasant form is innately, delightfully feminine.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Tibi had become a brightly colored, boldly printed, feminine line — not because that was me, but because the stores wanted it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

The campaign, which was launched ahead of International Women's Day last month, also highlights the issue of water necessity for sanitation and feminine hygiene.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

But not military code, not Intelligence or Resistance code—just feminine code.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• female
• femalelike
• gentle
• soft
• tender
• womanish
• womanlike
• womanly