woman

noun

wom·​an ˈwu̇-mən How to pronounce woman (audio)
especially Southern
ˈwō- How to pronounce woman (audio)
or
ˈwə- How to pronounce woman (audio)
plural women ˈwi-mən How to pronounce woman (audio)
1
a
: an adult female person
b
: a woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation)
usually used in combination
councilwoman
2
3
: distinctively feminine nature : womanliness
4
: a woman who is a servant or personal attendant
5
a
chiefly dialectal : wife
b
6
: a woman who is extremely fond of or devoted to something specified
I'm a chocolate woman through and through, but one bite of West's banana pudding cupcake and I was sold.Hattie Brown Garrow
woman adjective
womanless
ˈwu̇-mən-ləs How to pronounce woman (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈwō-
 or  ˈwə-
adjective

Examples of woman in a Sentence

She grew up to become a confident and beautiful woman. She is a grown woman. The store sells shoes for both men and women.
Recent Examples on the Web Only 14% of leadership roles in tech are occupied by women, and the industry as a whole is only 33% female. Alex Ford, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 Photo: Fadil Berisha Stewart as Roy Lichtenstein's comic book women, 2017. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024 Those most at-risk for severe outcomes are older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Katherine Dillinger, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Webb’s visions warn her about a threat to three young women, who each will gain spider powers in the future. Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for woman 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English wīfman, from wīf woman, wife + man human being, man

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of woman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near woman

Cite this Entry

“Woman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woman. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

woman

noun
wom·​an ˈwu̇m-ən How to pronounce woman (audio)
plural women ˈwim-ən How to pronounce woman (audio)
1
: an adult female person
2
3
: a woman who is a servant or attendant
Etymology

Old English wīfman "a female person," from wīf "woman, wife" and man "person"

More from Merriam-Webster on woman

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