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
“It could be an image of Black womanhood: she brings the sacred and the strength that other people find dangerous into a beautiful harmony.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
One speaker after another followed Erika’s lead, preaching the tenets of Christian womanhood to a congregation eager to be shepherded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 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
When a girl became a mhandara in the village, they said she had crossed the river into 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.
