femininity

noun

fem·​i·​nin·​i·​ty ˌfe-mə-ˈni-nə-tē 

1

: the quality or nature of the female sex : the quality, state, or degree of being feminine or womanly

challenging traditional notions about femininity and masculinity

… the women were visions of powerful femininity.

—Alan Shipnuck

2

: woman, womankind

… he was now to contrast her sharply with the best of what the Old World had to offer in the matter of femininity …

—Theodore Dreiser

Synonyms of femininity

• feminity

Examples of femininity in a Sentence

national costumes that accent masculinity and femininity

Recent Examples on the Web

And the good news is that there’s a growing wave of labels that live in adjacent or complementary corners of the same dreamy universe, each with its own take on femininity, craftsmanship, and that romantic but real-life-friendly charm. —Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 3 Dec. 2025

Shared among a close circle of Kennedy’s friends, many of whom were expectant mothers, the coat was passed from one to another as an emblem of friendship, femininity and shared experience. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025

Today, billowing sleeves conjure romance and femininity, with detachable versions returning to bridal collections, while recent runways from Thom Browne, Louis Vuitton, Chloé, Valentino and Saint Laurent have all featured different takes on the shape. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025

That expectation means that girls frequently struggle to balance aggressive competitiveness with norms of deferential femininity, a double standard boys don’t encounter. —Soraya Chemaly, Time, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing femininity

• hyper-femininity

Rhymes for femininity

• alkalinity
• consanguinity
• crystallinity
• masculinity
• affinity
• divinity
• infinity
• salinity
• vicinity
• virginity

Medical Definition

femininity

noun

fem·​i·​nin·​i·​ty ˌfem-ə-ˈnin-ət-ē 

plural femininities

: the quality or nature of the female sex