Friedan

American  

[fri-dan] / frɪˈdæn /

noun

1. Betty (Naomi Goldstein) 1921–2006, U.S. women's-rights leader and writer.

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Friedan British  

/ ˈfriːdən /

noun

1. Betty . 1921–2006, US feminist, founder and first president (1966–70) of the National Organization for Women. Her books include The Feminine Mystique (1963), The Second Stage (1982), and The Fountain of Life (1993)

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Example Sentences

Friedan co-founded the National Organization for Women in 1966, which lobbied for equal job opportunities, equal pay and for enforcement of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, prohibiting sex discrimination in employment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

The skill with which Friedan connects the dots between the subjugation of intelligent, educated women and the ruthless, calculated mind-numbing agenda of consumerism turns out to be her deftest move.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025

After all, feminist thinker Betty Friedan emerged in the wake of these policies.

From Slate • Sep. 29, 2023

“The Feminine Mystique” author Betty Friedan called it “the problem that has no name.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2023

A woman who smiles and laughs easily in spite of her intensity, Friedan prefers to be called not Miss, Ms., or Mrs., but simply Betty.

From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Millard, Max