female genital mutilation
noun
: a procedure performed especially as a cultural rite that typically includes the total or partial excision of the female external genitalia and especially the clitoris and labia minora and that is now outlawed in many nations including the U.S.
—abbreviation FGM
called also female circumcision
compare infibulationExamples of female genital mutilation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Already, the United Nations says that about 75 percent of girls and women in Gambia between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subject to genital cutting, which is often described by opponents as female genital mutilation, or FGM.
—
Ramatoulie Jawo, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
The United Nations children's agency said in a report released on International Women's Day that more than 230 million women and girls around the world have undergone female genital mutilation.
—Angela Charlton and Jade Le Deley, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
The Templeton Prize winner and former first lady of Somalia is still working to train midwives and eliminate female genital mutilation.
—Emily Bobrow, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2023
Many of these girls have undergone the traumatic experience of female genital mutilation (FGM).
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 4 May 2023
In July, Ani Zonneveld, president of Muslims for Progressive Values, asked Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota to make a statement concerning women and girls victimized by female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
—Qanta A. Ahmed, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019
What is female genital mutilation?
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022
The women, according to reports from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Homeland Security, worried that the girl had undergone female genital mutilation, or FGM, an ancient ritual defined by the United Nations as the removal of external female genitalia for nonmedical reasons.
—Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2022
Criminal defense attorney Mary Chartier, who represented one of the defendants in the historic female genital mutilation case and convinced a judge to declare the FGM law as unconstitutional, noted that the decision to testify rests solely with the defendant.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2022
Ramatoulie Jawo, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024
The United Nations children's agency said in a report released on International Women's Day that more than 230 million women and girls around the world have undergone female genital mutilation.
—Angela Charlton and Jade Le Deley, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
The Templeton Prize winner and former first lady of Somalia is still working to train midwives and eliminate female genital mutilation.
—Emily Bobrow, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2023
Many of these girls have undergone the traumatic experience of female genital mutilation (FGM).
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 4 May 2023
In July, Ani Zonneveld, president of Muslims for Progressive Values, asked Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota to make a statement concerning women and girls victimized by female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
—Qanta A. Ahmed, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019
What is female genital mutilation?
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2022
The women, according to reports from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Homeland Security, worried that the girl had undergone female genital mutilation, or FGM, an ancient ritual defined by the United Nations as the removal of external female genitalia for nonmedical reasons.
—Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2022
Criminal defense attorney Mary Chartier, who represented one of the defendants in the historic female genital mutilation case and convinced a judge to declare the FGM law as unconstitutional, noted that the decision to testify rests solely with the defendant.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'female genital mutilation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near female genital mutilation
Cite this Entry
“Female genital mutilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/female%20genital%20mutilation. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share