feminine

fem·i·nine
F4E1M3I1N1I1N1E1
/ˈfɛmɪnɪn//ˈfɛmənɪn/

adjective

Of or pertaining to the female gender.

“Mary, Elizabeth, and Edith are feminine names.”

Similar
femalewomanlycaringladylikenurturingbeautyfemmefem
Opposite
masculinemanlymalebutchneuter
OriginMiddle English femynyne ← Old French feminin ← Latin fēminīnus →
CommonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectivefeminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

comparative more feminine · superlative most feminine · alternative abbreviation f. · alternative abbreviation f · alternative hypercorrect obsolete fœminine · alternative misspelling femenine

  1. Of or pertaining to the female gender.
  2. Of or pertaining to the female sex; biologically female, not male.

    Synonyms: female, womanly

  3. Belonging to females; typically used by females.

    Mary, Elizabeth, and Edith are feminine names.

  4. Having the qualities stereotypically associated with women: nurturing, not aggressive, sensual; womanly.

    Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine.

    1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
    2 more examples

    Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace.

    1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

    Ninias being esteemed no man of warre at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy.

    1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5)

    Antonyms: masculine, manly

  5. Of, pertaining or belonging to the female grammatical gender, in languages that have gender distinctions.
    1. grammarBeing of the feminine class or grammatical gender, and inflected in that manner.

      Synonyms: female

    2. grammarBeing inflected in agreement with a feminine noun.

      Women's names were formed in the same way as men's, but with feminine terminations […]

      1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii

      Synonyms: female

  6. Mongolic languagesgrammarHaving the vowel harmony of a front vowel.
  7. human sciencesFollowing or ending on an unstressed syllable.

    Feminine caesura, feminine catalexis, feminine ending, feminine rhyme.

nounfeminine (plural feminines)

plural feminines · alternative abbreviation f. · alternative abbreviation f · alternative hypercorrect obsolete fœminine · alternative misspelling femenine

  1. That which is feminine.
  2. obsoletepossiblyrareA woman.

    They guide the feminines toward the Pallace.

    1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC
  3. grammarThe feminine gender.
  4. grammarA word of the feminine gender.
    1 more example

    These changes being understood, it is easy to see how inaccurate it is to talk of she being the feminine, and they being the plural, of he. The different words belong to dif­fer­ent systems, and are no more the masculines and feminines of one another, than (to use a well-known illustration) puss is the vocative case of cat.

    1860, Robert Gordon Latham FRS, An Elementary English Grammar: For the Use of Schools, →OCLC, page 82

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or pertaining to the female sex; biologically female, not male.

Similar
femalewomanly

adjectiveHaving the qualities stereotypically associated with women: nurturing, not aggressive, sensual; womanly.

Opposite
masculinemanly

adjectiveBeing of the feminine class or grammatical gender, and inflected in that manner.

Similar
female

adjectiveBeing inflected in agreement with a feminine noun.

Similar
female

having qualities stereotypical of the female gender

Similar
caringladylikenurturingbeautyfemme
Similar
femgirlishgirlyladyishmaidenlymatronlywomanishOf a mancampeffeminateepicenefruitysoftswishunmanlyunmasculine

of the female sex

Opposite
male

having qualities stereotypical of the female gender

Opposite
butch
Opposite
neuterandrogynous
Broader
guise
Narrower
housewifelyhousewifeyhousewifishwifelywifeywifishuxorial

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveassociated with women and not with men

Similar
fairfemaledistaffmaidenlikemaidenlypowder-puff
Opposite
masculine

adjectivefemale (of grammatical gender)

Opposite
neutermasculine

adjectivebefitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman

Similar
womanlymatronlywomanlike

adjective(music or poetry) ending on an unaccented beat or syllable

Similar
unstressed
Also see
distaffeffeminatefairfemalegirlymaidenlikemaidenlymatronlysexualsoftunstressedwomanlikewomanly

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁(y)-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂
  3. Proto-Italic*θēmanā
  4. Proto-Italic*fēmanā
  5. Latinfēmina
  6. Latinfēminīnus
  7. Old Frenchfeminin
  8. Middle Englishfemynyne
  9. Englishfeminine

From Middle English feminine, femynyne, femynyn, from Old French feminin, feminine, from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-eh₂ (“(the one) nursing, breastfeeding”). Related to fetus, feminism, filial, fellatio.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek θῆλυς, θηλυκός
  • θῆλυς (thêlus)of the female sex
  • θηλυκός (thēlukós)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
Arabic نِسَائِيّ, مُؤَنَّث
  • نِسَائِيّ (nisāʔiyy)of the female sex
  • مُؤَنَّث (muʔannaṯ)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • مُؤَنَّث (muʔannaṯ)grammar term
Bengali স্ত্রীলিঙ্গ
  • স্ত্রীলিঙ্গ (striliṅgo)grammar term
Bulgarian же́нски, же́нски
  • же́нски (žénski)of the female sex
  • же́нски (žénski)belonging to females
  • же́нствен (žénstven)having the qualities associated with women
  • же́нски (žénski)having the qualities associated with women
  • же́нски (žénski)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • же́нски род (žénski rod)grammar term
Catalan femení, femenívol
  • femeníbelonging to females
  • femenívolbelonging to females
  • femenívolhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femenígrammar term
Chinese Cantonese 陰性 /阴性
  • 陰性 /阴性grammar term
Chinese Mandarin 女性的, 女性的
  • 女性的of the female sex
  • 女性的belonging to females
  • 女性的having the qualities associated with women
  • 陰性的 /阴性的of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • 陰性 /阴性 (yīnxìng)grammar term
  • 陰性詞 /阴性词a word of the feminine gender
Czech ženský, ženský
  • ženskýof the female sex
  • ženskýof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • ženský rodgrammar term
  • femininumgrammar term
Danish kvindelig, kvinde-
  • kvindeligof the female sex
  • kvinde-belonging to females
  • femininbelonging to females
  • kvindelighaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • hunkøns-of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • femininumgrammar term
Dutch vrouwelijk, vrouwelijke
  • vrouwelijkof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • vrouwelijkethat which is feminine
Esperanto ina, ina
  • inaof the female sex
  • inahaving the qualities associated with women
  • ingenrogrammar term
  • feminenogrammar term
Estonian naissugu, feminiinum
  • naissugugrammar term
  • feminiinumgrammar term
Finnish naispuolinen, naaras-
  • naispuolinenof the female sex
  • naaras-of the female sex
  • naaraspuolinenof the female sex
  • naistenbelonging to females
  • naisellinenhaving the qualities associated with women
  • feminiininenhaving the qualities associated with women
  • naismainenhaving the qualities associated with women
  • napsuhaving the qualities associated with women
  • feminiininenof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • feminiinigrammar term
French féminin, féminin
  • fémininof the female sex
  • fémininbelonging to females
  • fémininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • fémininof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • féminingrammar term
German feminin, weiblich
  • femininof the female sex
  • weiblichof the female sex
  • femininbelonging to females
  • weiblichbelonging to females
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • weiblichhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • weiblichof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • Femininumgrammar term
  • weibliches Geschlechtgrammar term
Greek θηλυκός, γυναικείος
  • θηλυκός (thilykós)of the female sex
  • γυναικείος (gynaikeíos)belonging to females
  • γυναικείος (gynaikeíos)having the qualities associated with women
  • θηλυκός (thilykós)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • θηλυκό (thilykó)that which is feminine
  • θηλυκό (thilykó)grammar term
  • θηλυκό γένος (thilykó génos)grammar term
Hebrew נקבה, נְקֵבָה
  • נקבה (nekeva)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • נְקֵבָה (n'kevá)grammar term
Hindi स्त्रैण, स्त्रैण
  • स्त्रैण (straiṇ)of the female sex
  • स्त्रैण (straiṇ)belonging to females
  • स्त्रैण (straiṇ)having the qualities associated with women
  • स्त्रीलिंग (strīliṅg)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • स्त्रीलिंग (strīliṅg)grammar term
  • मुअन्नस (muannas)grammar term
Hungarian női, nőstény
  • nőiof the female sex
  • nőstényof the female sex
  • nőneműof the female sex
  • nőibelonging to females
  • nőieshaving the qualities associated with women
  • nőneműof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • nőnemgrammar term
  • nőnemű alaka word of the feminine gender
Icelandic kvenkyns-, kvenkyn
  • kvenkyns-of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • kvenkyngrammar term
Indonesian feminin, feminin
  • femininof the female sex
  • femininbelonging to females
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • feminingrammar term
Irish baineann, baineann
  • baineannof the female sex
  • baineannhaving the qualities associated with women
  • baininscneachof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • baininscnegrammar term
Italian femminile, femminile
  • femminileof the female sex
  • femminilebelonging to females
  • femminilehaving the qualities associated with women
  • femminileof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • femminilegrammar term
  • genere femminilegrammar term
Japanese 女らしい, 女性らしい
  • 女らしい (onnarashii)of the female sex
  • 女性らしい (joseirashii)of the female sex
  • 女の (onna no)of the female sex
  • 女性の (josei no)belonging to females
  • 女性的な (joseiteki na)having the qualities associated with women
  • 女らしい (onnarashii)having the qualities associated with women
  • フェミニンなhaving the qualities associated with women
  • 女性 (josei)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • 女性 (josei)grammar term
Korean 여자답다, 녀자답다
  • 여자답다 (yeojadapda)of the female sex
  • 녀자답다 (nyeojadapda)of the female sex
  • 여성의 (yeoseong-ui)belonging to females
  • 녀성의 (nyeoseong-ui)belonging to females
  • 나약하다 (nayakhada)having the qualities associated with women
  • 여자답다 (yeojadapda)having the qualities associated with women
  • 녀자답다 (nyeojadapda)having the qualities associated with women
  • 여성 (yeoseong)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • 녀성 (nyeoseong)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • 여성 (yeoseong)grammar term
  • 녀성 (nyeoseong)grammar term
Latin fēminīnus, femininus
  • fēminīnusof the female sex
  • femininusbelonging to females
  • fēminīnushaving the qualities associated with women
  • muliebrishaving the qualities associated with women
  • fēminīnusof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • fēminīnumgrammar term
  • genus fēminīnumgrammar term
Latvian sievišķīgs, sievišķs
  • sievišķīgsof the female sex
  • sievišķsof the female sex
  • sieviešuof the female sex
  • sievišķīgsbelonging to females
  • sievišķsbelonging to females
  • sieviešubelonging to females
  • sievišķīgshaving the qualities associated with women
  • sievišķshaving the qualities associated with women
  • sieviešuhaving the qualities associated with women
  • sieviešuof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • sieviešu dzimtesof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • sievišķīgaisthat which is feminine
  • sieviešu dzimtegrammar term
Lithuanian moteriškas, moteriškos giminės
  • moteriškashaving the qualities associated with women
  • moteriškos giminėsof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • moteriškasof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • moteriškoji giminėgrammar term
Malay ragam feminin, jantina perempuan
  • ragam feminingrammar term
  • jantina perempuangrammar term
Norwegian Bokmål feminin, feminin
  • femininof the female sex
  • femininbelonging to females
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • hunkjønnof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • hunkjønngrammar term
  • femininumgrammar term
Persian زنانه
  • زنانه (zanâna)having the qualities associated with women
Polish żeński, kobiecy
  • żeńskiof the female sex
  • kobiecyhaving the qualities associated with women
  • żeńskiof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • rodzaj żeńskigrammar term
Portuguese feminino, feminino
  • femininoof the female sex
  • femininobelonging to females
  • femininohaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininoof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • femininogrammar term
Punjabi ਜ਼ਨਾਨਾ, زَنانہ
  • ਜ਼ਨਾਨਾ (zanānā)of the female sex
  • زَنانہ (zanānh)of the female sex
  • ਜ਼ਨਾਨਾ (zanānā)having the qualities associated with women
  • زَنانہ (zanānh)having the qualities associated with women
  • زَنانہ (zanānh)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • ਇਸਤਰੀਲਿੰਗ (isatrīliṅg)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
Romanian feminin, femeiesc
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femeieschaving the qualities associated with women
  • gen feminingrammar term
  • feminingrammar term
Russian же́нский, же́нский
  • же́нский (žénskij)of the female sex
  • же́нский (žénskij)belonging to females
  • же́нский (žénskij)having the qualities associated with women
  • же́нственный (žénstvennyj)having the qualities associated with women
  • феминный (feminnyj)having the qualities associated with women
  • же́нский (žénskij)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • же́нский род (žénskij rod)grammar term
Scottish Gaelic banail, boireann
  • banailhaving the qualities associated with women
  • boireannof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
Slovak ženský, ženský
  • ženskýof the female sex
  • ženskýbelonging to females
  • dievčenskýbelonging to females
  • ženskýhaving the qualities associated with women
  • ženskýof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • ženský rodgrammar term
  • feminínumgrammar term
  • slovo ženského rodua word of the feminine gender
Spanish femenino, femenil
  • femeninoof the female sex
  • femenilbelonging to females
  • de mujeresbelonging to females
  • femeninobelonging to females
  • femeninohaving the qualities associated with women
  • femeninoof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • femeninogrammar term
Swedish kvinnlig, feminin
  • kvinnligof the female sex
  • femininof the female sex
  • kvinnligbelonging to females
  • femininbelonging to females
  • kvinnlighaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininhaving the qualities associated with women
  • femininof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • femininumgrammar term
Tamil பெண்பால்
  • பெண்பால் (peṇpāl)grammar term
Thai เพศหญิง
  • เพศหญิง (pêet-yǐng)grammar term
Turkish dişil, feminen
  • dişilof the female sex
  • feminenhaving the qualities associated with women
  • kadınsıhaving the qualities associated with women
  • dişilof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • dişilgrammar term
  • müennesgrammar term
Ukrainian жіно́чий, жіно́чий
  • жіно́чий (žinóčyj)of the female sex
  • жіно́чий (žinóčyj)belonging to females
  • жіно́чий (žinóčyj)having the qualities associated with women
  • жіно́чний (žinóčnyj)having the qualities associated with women
  • жіно́цький (žinócʹkyj)having the qualities associated with women
  • жіно́чий (žinóčyj)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • жіно́чий рід (žinóčyj rid)grammar term
Urdu مُؤَنَّث, مُؤَنَّث
  • مُؤَنَّث (muannas)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • مُؤَنَّث (muannas)grammar term
Vietnamese nữ giới, nữ tính
  • nữ giớiof the female sex
  • nữ tínhhaving the qualities associated with women
  • giống cáiof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
  • giống cáigrammar term
Welsh benywaidd
  • benywaiddof the feminine grammatical gender distinction
Yiddish פֿעמינין
  • פֿעמינין (feminin)of the feminine grammatical gender distinction
Cite this entry
APA

feminine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feminine

MLA

“feminine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feminine. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feminine,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feminine.

Source: feminine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.