feminine

adjective

fem·i·nine | \ ˈfe-mə-nən

Definition of feminine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : female sense 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

4a : 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

feminine

noun

Definition of feminine (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from feminine Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about feminine

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Synonyms & Antonyms for feminine

Synonyms: Adjective

female, womanish, womanlike, womanly

Antonyms: Adjective

unfeminine, unwomanly

Examples of feminine in a Sentence

Adjective

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.”

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The best—and hopefully only—lesson Washington could take from Meyer is that the feminine is powerful, that a sleek dress doesn’t diminish a woman’s smarts or status. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Political Fashion Doesn’t Look Like Veep—But Maybe It Should," 1 Apr. 2019 Of course, that doesn’t excuse your boss’s — or anyone’ — inability to hear ideas pitched at feminine frequencies. — Karla L. Miller, The Seattle Times, "Amid idea stealing, boss seems to hear ‘hepeaters’ more than women," 26 Mar. 2019 Part of Brett’s vision included lowering prices and making clothes with a casual-feminine touch, similar to J.Crew’s popular sister brand, Madewell, instead of leaning on J.Crew’s typically preppy roots. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "A breakdown of this year’s brand winners and losers.," 27 Dec. 2018 This season, Inmaculada García made a definite return to her roots, reverting to clean lines with feminine touches. — Lindsay Peoples, The Cut, "The Most Beautiful Wedding Gowns for Spring 2019," 27 Apr. 2018 Beauty Bonus: Stick with the feminine colors with a sheer purple eye shadow, and don’t worry about breaking a sweat on the dance floor with some dry shampoo. — Alanna Greco, Seventeen, "Exactly What to Wear to Prom, According to Your Sign," 11 Mar. 2019 The line is sophisticated, but has a uncontrived spirit that plays on masculine, feminine, and historical references. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Miu Miu's Fall '19 Show Is Almost Here, and You Can Stream It Live," 5 Mar. 2019 With its sculptural padded hips and lengthy train, the Sarah Burton design was an ultra-feminine choice with an editorial update that kept things exciting. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Lady Gaga Just Brought 128 Carats Worth of Bling to the Oscars," 25 Feb. 2019 The Oscars red carpet has quickly morphed into a sea of pink—like an ultra-feminine, ruffled, very pretty mind-meld happened to Hollywood's elite. — Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "It's a Parade of Pink on the Oscars Red Carpet," 25 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The dragon of chaos differentiates on the one hand into the feminine, that’s the unknown, and the feminine differentiates further into the negative feminine and the positive feminine. — Laurie Penny, Longreads, "Peterson’s Complaint," 12 July 2018 The dress featured floral and bird embroidery on the front and on the sleeves, giving it an elegant feminine vibe. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Queen Letizia's Pretty ASOS Pink Dress Is Only $119 and Still Available to Shop," 28 Nov. 2018 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

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.