feminism

noun

fem·​i·​nism ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm 

: belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

feministic

ˌfe-mə-ˈni-stik 

adjective

Examples of feminism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Especially since the 1960s, in part because of the Black freedom struggle, feminism, and other social movements that challenged prevailing distributions of power in the Unted States, historians have been asking different questions and probing other dimensions of our past. —James T. Kloppenberg, Time, 28 May 2025

That ought to be unbearable, and not just as an affront to feminism; his pox-on-both-your-genders cussedness can sometimes feel self-canceling as drama. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Known for her viral videos and pointed breakdowns on race, feminism, and justice, Vanee brings her signature style to this new REVOLT platform. —Okla Jones, Essence, 14 May 2025

What happened to feminism in the twenty-first century? —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see feminine entry 1

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing feminism

• trans exclusionary radical feminism

Rhymes for feminism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

feminism

noun

fem·​i·​nism ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm 

1

: the theory supporting the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

2

: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

feminist

-nəst 

noun or adjective

feministic

ˌfem-ə-ˈnis-tik 

adjective

Medical Definition

feminism

noun

fem·​i·​nism ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm 

: the presence of female characteristics in males