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

Example Sentences

And weaved into the outfit's feminine cut and low-key tones are connotations of "stability, dependence, soft power", she says.

From BBC

And this is in Mary Shelley’s text about the feminine and the masculine and those warring kind of energies.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From 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.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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