feminine

adjective fem·i·nine \ ˈfe-mə-nən \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of feminine

1 : female 1a(1)

2 : characteristic of or appropriate or unique to women

feminine beauty

a feminine perspective

3 : of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to females

a feminine noun

4 a : being an unstressed and usually additional final syllable after the final complete foot in a line of verse

a feminine ending

b of rhyme : having an unstressed final syllable

c : having the final chord occurring on a weak beat

music in feminine cadences

—

femininely

adverb

—

feminineness

play \ˈfe-mə-nə(n)-nəs\ noun

See feminine defined for English-language learners

See feminine defined for kids

Examples of feminine in a Sentence

The book examines the subject from a feminine perspective.
They've added some feminine touches to the decor.
The feminine form of the Spanish adjective “lindo” is “linda.”

Recent Examples of feminine from the Web

Adorned with matte gold beading and sequin, the pale pink look was unapologetically feminine, combining glitzy embellishment and a color palette worthy of Barbie.

— janelle okwodu, Vogue, "Amal Clooney Does Barbie Girl Glamour the Grownup Way," 8 June 2018
Her brand has always traded in wit, grace and a functionality that is also feminine.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "Kate Spade, Entrepreneur," 7 June 2018
In the ensuing decades, her label and its signature brand of whimsical, feminine glamour expanded to include clothing, footwear, and other accessories — and became a major force in American fashion.

— mary sollosi, EW.com, "Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, more stars pay tribute to fashion designer Kate Spade," 5 June 2018
The airy look adds a feminine touch to spring dresses and tops.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Crazy for color, ruffles and gold: The Kentucky Derby fashion trends you'll see this year," 22 Mar. 2018
Peterson is a Canadian, a professor at the University of Toronto, who lectures his large audiences about topics ranging from the fact that chaos is feminine to the social hierarchy of lobsters to why patriarchy just makes sense.

— lizzy acker, OregonLive.com, "Jordan Peterson, who says men are 'under assault,' is coming to Portland next month," 22 May 2018
This distinctly American phenomenon—applicators are not widely used in Europe or Australia—can be traced to the start of the disposable feminine hygiene industry in the United States.

— emily atkin, The New Republic, "Why Do Americans Refuse to Give Up Tampons?," 21 May 2018
Most experts view tomato juice and feminine products as bogus remedies.

— sarah cody, courant.com, "The Day The Dog Stank, Mom Was Clueless And The Boy Got Sent Home," 19 May 2018
Yet asserting her voice as the feminine aspect of the brand doesn’t end there.

— sarah espedido, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida business owners share challenges and lessons learned," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'feminine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of feminine

Middle English, from Anglo-French feminin, from Latin femininus, from femina woman; akin to Old English delu nipple, Latin filius son, felix, fetus, & fecundus fruitful, felare to suck, Greek thēlē nipple

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

feminine Synonyms

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

feminine

noun

Definition of feminine

1 a : a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the feminine gender

b : the feminine gender

2 : the embodiment or conception of a timeless or idealized feminine nature

See feminine defined for English-language learners

Examples of feminine in a Sentence

The feminine of the Spanish adjective “lindo” is “linda.”

Recent Examples of feminine from the Web

Her navy blue coat took cues from traditional suiting and featured a double breasted, peak-lapel finish, which was a boyish foil to her feminine flared trousers.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Victoria Beckham’s Rainy Day Uniform is Plucked Straight From Her Fall 2018 Runway Show," 11 Feb. 2018
At the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday (May 7), award-winning actress and musician Hailee Steinfeld walked the red carpet in her usual feminine yet edgy style.

— braudie blais-billie, Billboard, "The Effortless Cool Behind Hailee Steinfeld's MTV Movie & TV Awards Lavender Minidress: Exclusive," 7 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of feminine

see ¹feminine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

FEMININE Defined for English Language Learners

feminine

adjective

Definition of feminine for English Language Learners

: of, relating to, or suited to women or girls
grammar in some languages : of or belonging to the class of words (called a gender) that ordinarily includes most of the words referring to females