feminist
Americanadjective
noun
-
feminists
plural
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
But Parton, whose hit "9 to 5" was a feminist anthem, declined to describe herself as such despite shaking up the male dominated country music industry.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
While staunchly feminist, Osterberg often expressed her vision in social Darwinist terms.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The exhibit showcases other Mexican masters, including Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, but the big draw has been Kahlo, whose oeuvre has become a touchstone of feminist and Latin American iconography.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
On one side are progressive, feminist, so-called Brooklyn Dads, who are famously driven by a belief that they should split child-rearing responsibilities with their partners equally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
With that decision, the Seneca Falls leaders established that it was a person’s attitude about female equality and not their sex that should determine who was, in fact, a feminist.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
When “Legally Blonde” first came out, I was ready to write off Elle Woods for similar reasons many first- and second-wave feminists dismissed Marilyn Monroe.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
In what way do tradwives and feminists need each other?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
It can be daunting for women to admit it was a mistake to buy into the tradwife lifestyle, especially after being warned by feminists of the risks.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026
As she collected the prize, Dean dedicated the award to author Bell Hooks and "all the black feminists that inspire me to love better and love the people in my life".
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
One of the most famous—or infamous—of these New Departure feminists was Victoria Claflin Woodhull.
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.
