feminism

noun fem·i·nism \ ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

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

—

feministic

play \ˌfe-mə-ˈni-stik\ adjective

See feminism defined for English-language learners

See feminism defined for kids

Recent Examples of feminism from the Web

Third, in a country where feminism is gaining ground, 11 of the new cabinet’s 17 members are women.

— The Economist, "Spain’s new prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, assembles a reassuring team," 7 June 2018
Markle's numerous declarative statements about feminism and equality trumped tradition in this way and quite possibly set the tone for her role as a new member of the British Monarchy.

— christina coleman, Glamour, "A Gospel Choir and a Fiery Sermon: How the Royal Wedding Celebrated Meghan Markle's Identity," 19 May 2018
And between all the bops, Beyoncé made space for audio clips of Malcolm X and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaking about feminism and civil rights.

— diana budds, Curbed, "How marching bands became tools for cultural and political expression," 25 Apr. 2018
Writing a novel about feminism can be a thankless task.

— michelle dean, The New Republic, "Tensions between two generations of feminists animate Meg Wolitzer’s novel.," 12 Apr. 2018
That’s one reason intersectional feminism is so complicated.

— joe fassler, The Atlantic, "Writing a Feminist Novel With a Man's Point of View," 20 Mar. 2018
Beyoncé gets this lesson about feminism better than most.

— brittney cooper, Cosmopolitan, "Why Feminism Needed Beyonce," 14 Feb. 2018
That’s because through her sci-fi and fantasy Le Guin tackled issues that no other writer had ever attempted, themes like feminism, gender identity, and the inevitable corruption of capitalist societies.

— tiffany kelly, Popular Mechanics, "Ursula K. Le Guin Proved That Sci-Fi Is For Everyone," 24 Jan. 2018
Later in the winter, the Reader hosted a discussion about intersectional feminism and how to do it.

— aimee levitt, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / News / Women's Issues From the archive: What we've learned in the year since the last Women's March," 19 Jan. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of feminism

see ¹feminine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1841

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

FEMINISM Defined for English Language Learners

feminism

noun

Definition of feminism for English Language Learners

: the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities
: organized activity in support of women's rights and interests

FEMINISM Defined for Kids

feminism

noun fem·i·nism \ ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm \

Definition of feminism for Students

1 : the belief that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities

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

—

feminist

\-nist\ noun or adjective

Medical Dictionary

feminism

noun fem·i·nism \ ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm \

medical Definition of feminism

: the presence of female characteristics in males

Learn More about feminism

See words that rhyme with feminism Spanish Central: Translation of feminism Nglish: Translation of feminism for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of feminism for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about feminism

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feminism

Definition of feminism

feminist

feministic

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Recent Examples of feminism from the Web

Origin and Etymology of feminism

Other Sociology Terms

FEMINISM Defined for English Language Learners

feminism

Definition of feminism for English Language Learners

FEMINISM Defined for Kids

feminism

Definition of feminism for Students

feminist

Medical Dictionary

feminism

medical Definition of feminism

Learn More about feminism

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