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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feminist feminists

The artist also sees her work through a feminist lens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

But Stephania lived in turmoil, because she was a feminist at heart.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

She said she believed in being a feminist through her actions.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

If we treat the women in our lives with disrespect and deceit, we aren’t exactly the picture of a feminist ally.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

My mom was essentially blackmailing me into being a good feminist and following my heart.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

In what way do tradwives and feminists need each other?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

But feminists should not be cowed — and not just because this case, a version of which was already litigated in Carroll’s favor, is likely to crumble in court.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

Now we have one more study showing that the tradwife hype is just as empty as feminists have always suspected.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

The accessory is brandished by some feminists as "a sign of the advancement of women's rights and then their visibility in the public space", said fashion historian Marine Chaleroux.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

I was either hard-driving and angry or, with my garden and messages about healthy eating, I was a disappointment to feminists, lacking a certain stridency.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama