womanly

[woo m-uh n-lee]

See more synonyms for womanly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

like or befitting a woman; feminine; not masculine or girlish.

adverb

in the manner of, or befitting, a woman.

Origin of womanly

1250–1300; Middle English wommanli(che). See woman, -ly

Related formswom·an·li·ness, wom·an·ness, nounhalf-wom·an·ly, adjectiveun·wom·an·ly, adjective, adverb

Can be confusedeffeminate effete feminine womanish womanly (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms for womanly

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2. Womanly, womanlike, womanish mean having the traits or qualities that a culture regards as especially characteristic of or ideally appropriate to adult women. Womanly is usually a term of approval, suggesting the display of traits admired by the society, such as self-possession, modesty, motherliness, and calm competence: a womanly consideration for others; with womanly skill and efficiency. Womanlike may be a neutral synonym for womanly, or it may suggest mild disapproval: a womanlike dignity; womanlike tears and recriminations. Womanish is usually disparaging; applied to women it suggests traits not generally socially approved: a womanish petulance; womanish disregard for the rules. Applied to men it suggests traits culturally deemed inappropriate for men and (in what is now often regarded as a sexist notion) to be found in women: a womanish shrillness in his speech; a womanish way of stamping his foot in anger. See also female.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for womanly

female, girlish, ladylike, matronly, motherly, womanish, maidenly

Examples from the Web for womanly

Contemporary Examples of womanly

Any belly fat might redistribute itself in a more “womanly” way around the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Hormone Therapy Is More Than Just a Physical Process
Brandy Zadrozny
August 22, 2013
In Family Weekend, then, Chenoweth gets what may be her most womanly film role yet.
Kristin Chenoweth on Her Darker Role in ‘Family Weekend’
Kevin Fallon
March 27, 2013
And yes, his clothes are even designed to fit women with womanly assets.
The Birth of Unisex Couture: Rad Hourani
Misty White Sidell
January 25, 2013
She was the most potent example of impressive, womanly power.
A Toast to Fabulous Women
Robin Givhan
November 8, 2011
Women labored in groups, with female neighbors, midwives, aunts and mothers around for womanly support.
Sarkozy Missed Daughter's Birth—What People Think
Jessica Bennett
October 22, 2011

Historical Examples of womanly

Under fire you said a most courageous, womanly, creditable thing.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
They possessed all the manly arts and some of the womanly arts as well.
Pee-wee Harris
Percy Keese Fitzhugh
Nor say thou, that virtue, in the eye of Heaven, is as much a manly as a womanly grace.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
It was full of that womanly gentleness which fitted her so well.
The Law-Breakers
Ridgwell Cullum
Your generosity carries you away, and your divine, womanly pity and kindness.
The First Violin
Jessie Fothergill

British Dictionary definitions for womanly

womanly

adjective

possessing qualities, such as warmth, attractiveness, etc, generally regarded as typical of a woman, esp a mature woman
characteristic of or belonging to a woman

Derived Formswomanliness, noun

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