feminine

[ fem-uh-nin ]

/ ˈfɛm ə nɪn /

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See synonyms for: feminine / feminines / feminineness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to a woman or girl: feminine beauty; feminine dress.

having qualities traditionally ascribed to women, as sensitivity or gentleness.

effeminate; womanish: a man with a feminine walk.

belonging to the female sex; female: feminine staff members.

Grammar. noting or pertaining to that one of the three genders of Latin, Greek, German, etc., or one of the two genders of French, Spanish, Hebrew, etc., having among its members most nouns referring to females, as well as other nouns, as Latin stella “star,” or German Zeit “time.”

noun Grammar.

the feminine gender.

a noun or other element in or marking that gender.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of feminine

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English femynyn(e), from Anglo-French, Old French: feminine of adjective feminin, from Latin fēminīnus, equivalent to fēmin(a) “woman” (see fetus) + -īnus -ine¹

synonym study for feminine

2. See female.

OTHER WORDS FROM feminine

fem·i·nine·ly, adverbfem·i·nine·ness, nounan·ti·fem·i·nine, adjectivean·ti·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

an·ti·fem·i·nine·ness, nounhalf-fem·i·nine, adjectivehy·per·fem·i·nine, adjectivehy·per·fem·i·nine·ly, adverbhy·per·fem·i·nine·ness, nouno·ver·fem·i·nine, adjectiveo·ver·fem·i·nine·ly, adverbpseu·do·fem·i·nine, adjectivesu·per·fem·i·nine, adjectiveul·tra·fem·i·nine, adjectiveun·fem·i·nine, adjectiveun·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH feminine

1. female, feminine (see synonym study at female)2. effeminate, effete, feminine , womanish, womanly (see synonym study at womanly)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use feminine in a sentence

Boys are taught early in life to devalue care, to be hyper-competitive, super-achieving men.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The looks were slightly more feminine (and by slightly, we really mean slightly).
What, and Who, You'll Be Wearing in 2015|Justin Jones|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All other issues—racial, feminine, even environmental—need to fit around this central objective.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats|Joel Kotkin|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These crimes of fashion proved the men were feminine and thus gay and therefore worthy of incarceration.
The Straight Hero of Cameroon’s Gays|Jay Michaelson|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She was born into a patriarchy and an industry that hyper-sexualizes women all the time.
Revenge of the Rock Nerds: TV on the Radio’s Long Road to ‘Seeds’|Marlow Stern|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This unreasoning, feminine obstinacy so wrought upon him that he permitted himself a smile and a lapse into irony and banter.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Under all man's dreams of eternal gods and eternal heavens lies man's passion for the eternal feminine.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
The plain furniture was stiffly arranged, and there was no litter of clothing or small feminine belongings.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
She made me a profound and graceful curtsey—feminine homage to my budding manhood.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Her eyes are in a measure open now, but it is too late, and she rebels in the usual futile feminine way.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for feminine

feminine

/ (ˈfɛmɪnɪn) /

adjective

suitable to or characteristic of a womana feminine fashion

possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a woman

effeminate; womanish

grammar

denoting or belonging to a gender of nouns, occurring in many inflected languages, that includes all kinds of referents as well as some female animate referents
(as noun)German Zeit ``time'' and Ehe ``marriage'' are feminines

Derived forms of feminine

femininely, adverbfeminineness, noun

Word Origin for feminine

C14: from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina woman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

feminine

Origin of feminine

synonym study for feminine

OTHER WORDS FROM feminine

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH feminine

Words related to feminine

How to use feminine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for feminine

Derived forms of feminine

Word Origin for feminine