womanly

[ woom-uhn-lee ]

adjective

1. like or befitting a woman; feminine; not masculine or girlish.

adverb

1. in the manner of, or befitting, a woman.

womanly

/ ˈwʊmənlɪ /

adjective

1. possessing qualities, such as warmth, attractiveness, etc, generally regarded as typical of a woman, esp a mature woman
2. characteristic of or belonging to a woman

Derived Forms

• ˈwomanliness, noun

Other Words From

• woman·li·ness woman·ness noun
• half-woman·ly adjective
• un·woman·ly adjective adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of womanly¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English wommanli(che); woman, -ly

Synonym Study

Womanly, womanlike, womanish mean having the traits or qualities that a culture regards as especially characteristic of or ideally appropriate to adult women. Womanly is usually a term of approval, suggesting the display of traits admired by the society, such as self-possession, modesty, motherliness, and calm competence: a womanly consideration for others; with womanly skill and efficiency. Womanlike may be a neutral synonym for womanly, or it may suggest mild disapproval: a womanlike dignity; womanlike tears and recriminations. Womanish is usually disparaging; applied to women it suggests traits not generally socially approved: a womanish petulance; womanish disregard for the rules. Applied to men it suggests traits culturally deemed inappropriate for men and (in what is now often regarded as a sexist notion) to be found in women: a womanish shrillness in his speech; a womanish way of stamping his foot in anger. female.

Example Sentences

Sally Kohlstedt: And so she very well might have been hesitant to present the material herself because that wouldn't have been womanly.

From Scientific American

“Sinead will forever be a figure of womanly defiance, for a country that never liked women,” she said.

From New York Times

The stately Foïs carries the film as it devolves into a restrained drama about familial loyalty and womanly fortitude, its change of gears not entirely clicking into place.

From New York Times

The magnitude of her wail and the amplitude of its womanly Blackness stops you cold.

From New York Times

At 30, women are expected to be womanly rather than girlish.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• female
• feminine