female

1 of 2

adjective

fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl 

1

a(1)

: of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to bear young or produce eggs

In a field of milkweed, I watched a female monarch butterfly deposit a single egg on the underside of a leaf.

—Tom Tyning

A few months later, she became the highest paid female performer on the Great White Way.

—Susannah McCorkle

(2)

botany : having or producing only pistils or pistillate flowers

a female holly

female inflorescences

b

: having a gender identity that is the opposite of male

c

: made up of usually adult members of the female sex : consisting of females

the female workforce

d

: characteristic of girls, women, or the female sex : exhibiting femaleness

composed for female voices

a female name

e

: designed for or typically used by girls or women

a female glove

f

: engaged in or exercised by girls or women

female suffrage

female political power

g

: having a quality (such as small size or delicacy of sound) sometimes associated with the female sex

female castanets

2

of a rhyme : having an unstressed final syllable : feminine sense 4b

a female rhyme

3

: designed with a hollow or groove into which a corresponding male part fits

the female coupling of a hose

femaleness noun

female

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a female person : a woman or a girl

b

: an individual of the sex that is typically capable of bearing young or producing eggs

2

: a pistillate plant

Did you know?

In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning “young woman, girl,” which in turn is based on femina, meaning “woman.” In English, the similarity in form and sound between the words female and male led people to use only the female spelling. This closeness also led to the belief that female comes from or is somehow related to male. However, apart from the influence of male on the modern spelling of female, there is no link between the origins of the two words.

Synonyms

Adjective

• feminine
• womanish
• womanlike
• womanly

Noun

• lady
• skirt [slang]
• woman

Example Sentences

Adjective

Most extension cords have a male plug on one end and a female plug on the other.

female standards of housekeeping imposed by the women at the vacation cottage weren't especially popular with the men

Noun

She attended a school where there were more males than females.

Females of this species weigh 8 to 10 pounds.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Why do people use they/them pronouns? Folks who identify outside the gender binary, a cultural or societal structure that classifies gender into two opposite forms (male and female), might use they/them pronouns. —Leah Campano, Seventeen, 5 Apr. 2023

Clark is a walking triple-double who keeps doing things nobody has done, male or female, in college basketball. —The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2023

Infertility affects both the male and female reproductive system and can cause significant emotional distress and financial hardship, and is still stigmatized and understudied. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2023

Smoking and excessive alcohol or drug use undermine both male and female ability to conceive. —Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023

Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Walker Hayes. 2023 also marks the first year that the show will separate the breakthrough video of the year award into male and female categories. —Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2023

The attacks on any deviation from strictly male or female identity are only growing in number and severity. —Allison Hope, CNN, 31 Mar. 2023

Who — male or female — inspired you to write? —Leila Cobo, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2023

Hale was assigned female at birth, according to public records. —Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 30 Mar. 2023

Noun

Of course, that prompted questions for high-scoring sensation Caitlin Clark, the first female to score at least 40 points in consecutive NCAA Tournament games after going for 41 against the Gamecocks on Friday to match her total from the Elite Eight win over Louisville. —Schuyler Dixon, ajc, 1 Apr. 2023

Female killer whales take about 20 years to reach peak fertility, and the females may not be living long enough to ensure the growth of their population. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2023

The female then fled the location in an unknown direction. —Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2023

The number one seed team BLQK Bears put two losses on the #1 female in the sport Waters in their semis matchup to move into the final as well. —Todd Boss, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023

Onscreen, the female’s calls were represented by red dots, the male’s calls by blue. —Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023

Francis’ fish was also around 49 inches long, but since the big female was caught in the spring, the fish was likely full of eggs and would have been noticeably heavier than a similarly sized pike caught in the fall. —Bob Mcnally, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023

The adult female told investigators Perez had physically assaulted her with his fists, choked her and prevented her from calling for assistance. —Warren Kulo | [e-mail], al, 22 Mar. 2023

Consider the New Mexico whiptail lizard, which reproduces through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that allows the female to create a viable offspring without a mate. —Clare Egan, Longreads, 21 Mar. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, alteration of femel, femelle, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French femele, from Medieval Latin femella, from Latin, girl, diminutive of femina

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

female

1 of 2 noun

fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl 

: a female plant or animal

female

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs

b

: having only seed-producing flowers

a female holly

2

a

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the female sex

b

: made up of females

femaleness noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English female "a girl or woman," an altered form of femel, femelle (same meaning), from early French femelle and Latin femella, both meaning "a girl or woman," from earlier Latin femella "a young woman, girl," from femina "woman" — related to feminine

Word Origin

In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning "young woman, girl," which in turn is based on femina, meaning "woman." In English, the similarity in form and sound between the words female and male led people to use only the female spelling. This closeness also led to the belief that female comes from or is somehow related to male. However, apart from the influence of male on the modern spelling of female, there is no link between the origins of the two words.

Medical Definition

female

1 of 2 noun

fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl 

: an individual that bears young or produces eggs as distinguished from one that produces sperm

especially : a woman or girl as distinguished from a man or boy

female

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs