feminine

American  

[fem-uh-nin] / ˈfɛm ə nɪn /

adjective

1. being or relating to to a woman or girl.

   feminine beauty;

   feminine dress.

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

3. effeminate; womanish.

   Growing up, he had been told he had a feminine walk.

4. 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.”

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noun

Grammar.

1. the feminine gender.

2. a noun or other element in or marking the feminine gender.

feminine British  

/ ˈfɛmɪnɪn /

adjective

1. suitable to or characteristic of a woman

   a feminine fashion

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

3. effeminate; womanish

4. grammar

   1. 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

   2. ( as noun )

      German Zeit ``time'' and Ehe ``marriage'' are feminines

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Related Words

See female.

Other Word Forms

• antifeminine adjective
• antifemininely adverb
• antifeminineness noun
• femininely adverb
• feminineness noun
• half-feminine adjective
• hyperfeminine adjective
• hyperfemininely adverb
• hyperfeminineness noun
• overfeminine adjective
• overfemininely adverb
• pseudofeminine adjective
• superfeminine adjective
• ultrafeminine adjective
• unfeminine adjective
• unfemininely adverb

Etymology

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” ( fetus ) + -īnus -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Vaguely grunge in vibe, the track overtly recalls second feminism’s suspicion of feminine adornment.

From Salon

"She transitioned from being a feminine artist or an artist of a feminine domain, to a feminist artist."

From BBC

Men's fashion is embracing embroidery and handcrafted textiles that were once viewed as old-fashioned or feminine, with a clutch of modern Indian brands poised to benefit from the catwalk and celeb-driven trend.

From Barron's

But by the later plays, they have evolved into bold truth-tellers who, through their “deeply feminine” attributes, like intuition and consensus-building, are capable of ending cycles of violence and setting their worlds right.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I’m here, I’m here. Don’t be afraid,” said the voice, soft and feminine.

From Literature

Related Words

• female
• femalelike
• gentle
• soft
• tender
• womanish
• womanlike
• womanly