feminism

American  

[fem-uh-niz-uhm] / ˈfɛm əˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.

3. Older Use. feminine character.

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feminism British  

/ ˈfɛmɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a doctrine or movement that advocates equal rights for women

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feminism ¹ Cultural  

1. The doctrine — and the political movement based on it — that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men. (See under “Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology.”)

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feminism ² Cultural  

1. A movement for granting women political, social, and economic equality with men. (See women's movement.)

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Usage

What does feminism mean? Feminism is a doctrine, or principle, that states women should have rights equal to those of men, especially social and political rights. Because feminism is a doctrine, there are many different thoughts about what feminism actually means and how best to achieve the desired equality. There is no unified group of feminists with a single philosophy, but all feminists agree that women are somehow not treated equally to men and that they should be. In the United States, from around 1848 through to 1920, feminism was generally concerned with women’s right to vote (known as women’s suffrage), notably starting at the Seneca Falls Convention. From around 1960, feminism began to be concerned with women’s civil rights and questioned what women’s role in society should be. Scholars are divided on whether the second wave actually ended and, if so, when. Starting in the 1990s, feminism started emphasizing electing women to political offices and majorly fighting against sexual harassment in the workplace. Many feminists at the time also questioned the notion of gender and the stereotypes of male and female societal roles and behavior. Some scholars suggest in the early 2010s, feminists began to focus on furthering better treatment of women. This can be seen by the rapid spread of the Me Too movement.

Other Word Forms

• antifeminism noun
• feminist noun
• profeminism noun

Etymology

Origin of feminism

First recorded in 1840–45; from Latin fēmina “woman” + -ism ( def. ); 1890–95 for sense of “women's movement” (from feminist ( def. ), adjective); feminine ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does feminism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• femininity vs. feminism
• egalitarian vs. feminism

Explanation

Feminism is a movement that advocates equal rights and opportunities for women. If you think that a man and woman doing the exact same job should get equal pay, then you believe in one of the basic principles of feminism. When the word feminism first entered English in 1851, it referred simply to being feminine. By 1895, it had taken on its current meaning as a way to describe a theory or activity promoting women’s rights, especially back then, the right to vote. You might be familiar with the wave of feminism that took place during the 1970s, when women fought for more opportunities and equal pay.

Example Sentences

Even issues that would go on to be more contentious within feminism and outside it—body positivity, trans rights—did crucial work.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

In fact, most of millennial feminism was pretty great.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

She became a global figurehead of strength and feminism, and during the 15-week trial in Avignon, supporters stood outside the court every day with signs thanking Ms Pelicot for her courage, and calling for justice.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Regardless of pushback, these vital ideas have moved beyond academia; the general public now understands that feminism cannot be described uniformly for all groups, and that racism is a social construct, not an accident.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

“Do you think my new feminism makes me look fat?”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Related Words

• feminist movement