feminist

American  

[fem-uh-nist] / ˈfɛm ə nɪst /

adjective

1. advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

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noun

• feminists
  plural

1. an advocate of such rights.

feminist British  

/ ˈfɛmɪnɪst /

noun

1. a person who advocates equal rights for women

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or advocating feminism

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antifeminist
  noun
• profeminist
  noun
• unfeminist
  noun
• antifeministic
  adjective
• nonfeminist
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• feminists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of feminist

First recorded in 1850–55 (probably in the current sense, but possibly in the sense “feminine, womanly”); from Latin fēmina “woman” + -ist ( def. )

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Explanation

A feminist is someone who supports equal rights for women. If your brother objects strongly to women being paid less than men for doing the same job, he's probably a feminist. If you believe that women should have the same political, social, and economic rights as men, you are a feminist. It has absolutely nothing to do with putting down men or boys in order to elevate the status of women. The word feminist comes from feminism, which originally meant simply "being feminine," or "being a woman," but gained the meaning "advocacy of women's rights" in the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feminist feminists

Mr. Harbach has likely exposed himself to criticism by anatomizing feminist politics and assuming the perspectives of 20-something coeds, though I think his characterizations are generous and insightful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Suk’s scholarship focuses on the processes of constitutional amendment and reform and the feminist constitutional movements.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

“Wives” shares some of the same impulses of Caryl Churchill’s brilliant, time-hopping feminist comedy “Top Girls,” but the comparison isn’t really a fair one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

“Peck & Peck” has little in common with that feminist anthem, but both share a classic underdog story of battling a culture that favors money, status and squeaky wheels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

“But still. Right now? I need help. I want to find some images like this that work for my This is what a feminist looks like campaign.”

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

For decades now, American feminists have asked our government to do more to support families and children.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

As new waves of feminists confronted different issues, some became exasperated by Steinem’s seemingly perennial role as the face of the women’s movement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

At the time, the union drew gasps of surprise and even disappointment from some feminists, who had spent years following Steinem's heated debates surrounding marriage laws.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Burke, 33, herself became internet famous when she started posting TikToks about the tradwife movement, a subculture that has ignited feminists and earned praise from religious conservatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

One of the most famous—or infamous—of these New Departure feminists was Victoria Claflin Woodhull.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

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