feminist

[ fem-uh-nist ]

adjective

1. advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

noun

1. an advocate of such rights.

ˈfeminist

/ ˈfɛmɪnɪst /

noun

1. a person who advocates equal rights for women

adjective

1. of, relating to, or advocating feminism

Other Words From

• anti·femi·nist noun adjective
• anti·femi·nistic adjective
• non·femi·nist adjective noun
• pro·femi·nist noun adjective
• un·femi·nist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of feminist¹

First recorded in 1850–55 (probably in the current sense, but possibly in the sense “feminine, womanly”); from Latin fēmina “woman” + -ist ( def )

Example Sentences

“For women, love, dating, marriage and childbirth were no longer perceived as refuges of peace and safety, but the site of exposure to male violence and subordination,” feminist scholar Yoon-kim Ji-young wrote in 2020, describing the 4B movement as “the complete severing of any emotional, mental, financial or physical dependence on men.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some feminist scholars and activists in South Korea have criticized these lifestyle-oriented aspects of the 4B movement, arguing that individual acts of opting out ultimately do little to meaningfully advance women’s sex and reproductive rights in society at large.

From Los Angeles Times

“At the center of young women’s commitment to 4B is the desire to focus on themselves,” feminist scholar Cho Joo-hyun wrote in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times

A prominent feminist activist disappeared with her partner after reporting for years that she had been threatened with violence.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s not that putting a woman in the Oval Office fixes pervasive gender inequality, starts a tsunami of female achievement, or signals that the feminist movement has finally succeeded.

From Slate