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.

---

feminism British  

/ ˈfɛmɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

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

---

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.”)

---

feminism ² Cultural  

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

---

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

Example Sentences

Molly Wright, who plays Kitty adds that Austen is "so ahead of her time" in her views on "marriage and feminism" in Pride and Prejudice.

From BBC

First lady Laura Bush added a fresh twist, throwing some feminism into her historic national radio address.

From Salon

It feels a bit like feminism for tweens, a young-adult approach to explaining how the liberation of minds is necessary for the liberation of bodies.

From Los Angeles Times

Vance is fooling himself if he thinks the foundation for electoral success is the sea of bitter online men who blame feminism for all their personal problems.

From Salon

She situates the rise of OneTaste in the context of the wellness and self-help industries, “lean-in” feminism and the start-up culture of Silicon Valley, and she pays homage to its founding ideals.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• feminist movement