feminism

noun fem·i·nism \ ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm \

Updated on: 25 Dec 2017

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Definition of feminism

1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

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feminist

play \ˈfe-mə-nist\ noun or adjective

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feministic

play \ˌfe-mə-ˈni-stik\ adjective

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Recent Examples of feminism from the Web

For Emma Watson, outspoken feminism is a way of life.

— calin van paris, Vogue, "Emma Watson Knows Why the Right Red Lip is a Feminist Force of Nature," 23 Oct. 2017
Many people in Mexico expressed outrage on social media after a flyer advertising an upcoming discussion on feminism showed a panel made up entirely of men.

— jane onyanga-omara, USA TODAY, "Mansplaining in Mexico: Here's what women thought of an all-male panel on feminism," 4 Oct. 2017
Behind these events lies a long-standing campaign by conservatives in the Catholic church against feminism, triggered by a UN Convention against Discrimination of 1979.

— The Economist, "BelloLatin America’s battle over “gender ideology”," 30 Sep. 2017
The account had, up until recently, posted mostly stories about feminism and female politics with share-hopeful personal opinions attached.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Report: Twitter CEO took a Russian impostor’s bait in 2016," 21 Oct. 2017
That is the overwhelming feeling after watching the latest episode of American Horror Story: Cult, which added a brand new layer to the already frenzied narrative and went on a tear about toxic feminism as viewed by the conservative male eye.

— candice frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "American Horror Story: Cult Episode 7 Presents an Unsettling Look at Feminism and Rage," 18 Oct. 2017
France’s fight for equality and freedom propels itself to modern times with this bold, brave and blisteringly funny new work about feminism, legacy and standing up for one’s beliefs.

— denisa protani, baltimoresun.com, "Tickets for two to The Revolutionists," 17 Oct. 2017
Where does Mark-Viverito think her mother's feminism came from?

— jonah goldberg, Alaska Dispatch News, "A Western disease is on the rise," 28 Aug. 2017
Since Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election, nonpartisan and partisan advocates say that women are getting involved in politics in a way that the United States hasn't seen since the feminism movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

— amber phillips, Washington Post, "Don’t look now, but this might be an excellent time for women to run for office," 4 Nov. 2017

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