womanhood
Americannoun
-
the state of being a woman; womanly character or qualities.
-
women collectively.
American womanhood.
noun
-
the state or quality of being a woman or being womanly
-
women collectively
Etymology
Origin of womanhood
A Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at woman, -hood
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.
Granted, that’s also what mature womanhood looks like, but so what?
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
When “Frankenstein” was first published without Shelley’s name, and chatter about its author began to spread, an early commentary in the British Critic scorned the dissonance between Shelley’s womanhood and the novel’s monstrous narrative.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
"Your wild imagination, your brave untethered womanhood, your ferocious gentleness is a guiding light to me."
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
Throughout the film, the director inserts shots of flowers that, though pretty and well-composed, don’t add much to her story of burgeoning womanhood for anyone who has seen a few Georgia O’Keeffe paintings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
So that was it: Masvita’s first blood had shown, and she was going to stay with her father’s sister to be instructed in the secrets of womanhood.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
