feminist
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
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. )
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.
Vocabulary lists containing feminist
When Fake is Real: Young People Rebel Against Instagram, Via Instagram
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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Chapter 29: The Civil Rights Era
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thirty-five years ago, Ridley Scott’s feminist road movie made a splash on the Croisette, then opened four days later on a Memorial Day weekend to strong box office and an awards run.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
These acts of giving up—or giving in—are beginning to add up to something of a feminist revolution, albeit a very low-key one.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Vanity Fair dubbed her an “improbable feminist icon.”
From Slate • May 6, 2026
Virginia Woolf’s status as a feminist heroine may be somewhat dimmed by the fact that she was a terrific snob.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
The same month Sojourner Truth made her speech, a history-making feminist friendship was forged between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
