feminism

[ fem-uh-niz-uhm ]

noun

1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.
3. Older Use. feminine character.

feminism

/ ˈfɛmɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a doctrine or movement that advocates equal rights for women

feminism

¹

1. The doctrine — and the political movement based on it — that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men. ( See under “Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology.” )

feminism

²

1. A movement for granting women political, social, and economic equality with men. ( See women's movement .)

Other Words From

• femi·nist noun adjective
• anti·femi·nism noun
• pro·femi·nism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of feminism¹

First recorded in 1840–45; from Latin fēmina “woman” + -ism ( def ); 1890–95 for sense of “women's movement” (from feminist ( def ), adjective); feminine ( def )

Example Sentences

Sweeney, founder of Fifty-Fifty Films, called out Tinseltown’s alleged faux feminism months after “Father of the Bride” producer Carol Baum dismissed her star power.

From Los Angeles Times

The Prices were motivated by “a funny version of feminism, where the glass ceiling is whether or not you’re allowed to shoot a gun at policeman,” Zetumer said.

From Los Angeles Times

What Beyoncé is doing, Palmer says, is performance art — “emoting something that is meant to be an aspirational exploration of feminism, gender-nonconformity but still softness, being assertive, having her peace in chaos with ‘Lemonade.’”

From Los Angeles Times

Imagine if Rogan decided to pivot and he began to provide his vast audience of men exposure to more progressive and feminist guests — including men who support feminism and don’t reflexively lash out against it.

From Salon

In the current moment, long-term shifts in the global economy and labor markets, automation and new technologies like AI and the ongoing societal transformations catalyzed by feminism have challenged those pillars of masculine identity.

From Salon

Related Words

• feminist movement

More About Feminism

What does feminism mean?

Feminism is a doctrine, or principle, that states women should have rights equal to those of men, especially social and political rights.

Because feminism is a doctrine, there are many different thoughts about what feminism actually means and how best to achieve the desired equality. There is no unified group of feminists with a single philosophy, but all feminists agree that women are somehow not treated equally to men and that they should be.

In the United States, from around 1848 through to 1920, feminism was generally concerned with women’s right to vote (known as women’s suffrage), notably starting at the Seneca Falls Convention.

From around 1960, feminism began to be concerned with women’s civil rights and questioned what women’s role in society should be. Scholars are divided on whether the second wave actually ended and, if so, when.

Starting in the 1990s, feminism started emphasizing electing women to political offices and majorly fighting against sexual harassment in the workplace. Many feminists at the time also questioned the notion of gender and the stereotypes of male and female societal roles and behavior.

Some scholars suggest in the early 2010s, feminists began to focus on furthering better treatment of women. This can be seen by the rapid spread of the Me Too movement.

Why is feminism important?

The first records of the word feminism come from around 1840. It is made from the Latin fēmina, meaning “woman,” and the suffix -ism, which denotes a principle or doctrine.

But women argued for equality to men much earlier than 1840. Feminism writings have been recorded as early as the 1300s and even ancient Roman women sometimes gathered to oppose discriminatory laws.

Feminism is not a monolithic movement in which all feminists share a single belief system. Even the first wave of feminism had groups with different beliefs and goals. Additionally, both the first and second waves had divisions based on class and race, and the second wave had divisions on nationality.

Even today, there are many different ideas about what feminism is and what its goals should be.

Did you know ... ?

Susan B. Anthony was a major leader of the women’s suffrage movement, and she founded the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Anthony was the first woman to have her likeness honored on American coins thanks to a 1978 law that bears her name, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act.

What are real-life examples of feminism?

Feminism takes many forms and can be addressed from many different perspectives.

resources on asian american feminism & solidarity: @aafcollective resource guide with
– zines on care in the time of covid-19, building an asian american movement, asian american feminist history
– reading list
– black and asian feminist solidarity https://t.co/YDdhj2PyEt pic.twitter.com/7tSFFfOfEV

— Julie Ae Kim (@julieaekim) March 18, 2021

Feminism is still widely held today, and there are still people who fight against it.

Don't forget the first wave of feminism: tomorrow is International Women's Day.

— ladina (@so_dina) March 7, 2011

In my view, feminism isn’t about:
-wearing makeup or going natural
-dressing modestly or provocatively
-working full-time or staying home with kids

It’s about having the right to make each of these (and other) decisions for yourself without being judged by others.

— Jen Heemstra (@jenheemstra) August 18, 2020

What other words are related to feminism?

• women
• feminist
• women’s rights
• suffrage
• sexism
• patriarchy

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

Feminism is the belief that women should have rights equal to men’s rights.