feminism
noun
fem·i·nism
ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm 
: belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
… feminism began in the late 1840s with the campaign for women's suffrage in America. The second wave came in the 1960s with the call for women's "liberation" and equality under the law. A third wave in the 1990s was more rebellious than reformist, more anarchically individualistic than disciplined and legalistic. Some think we are in the midst of a fourth wave, sustained by the internet and social media …—
The Economist (London)
The Economist (London)Examples of feminism in a Sentence
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It’s stunningly written but fun, deeply serious about feminism and capitalism and the realities of parenthood in America, but still hopeful.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
The presumption that a woman’s wedding should be the best day of her life has outlived many waves of feminism.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
So, the story is getting more complicated because more people are telling it, but also society is dealing with new ideas around environmentalism and second-wave feminism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2026
One of my favorite filmmakers is Marxist feminist Lina Wertmüller, whose 1970s art-house films like A Night Full of Rain and Seven Beauties have in mind the fraught dynamics of gender relations, communism, and liberal feminism’s limitations.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026
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Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
The presumption that a woman’s wedding should be the best day of her life has outlived many waves of feminism.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
So, the story is getting more complicated because more people are telling it, but also society is dealing with new ideas around environmentalism and second-wave feminism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2026
One of my favorite filmmakers is Marxist feminist Lina Wertmüller, whose 1970s art-house films like A Night Full of Rain and Seven Beauties have in mind the fraught dynamics of gender relations, communism, and liberal feminism’s limitations.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for feminism
Cite this Entry
“Feminism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
feminism
noun
fem·i·nism
ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm
1
: the theory supporting the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2
: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
Medical Definition
feminism
noun
fem·i·nism
ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm
: the presence of female characteristics in males
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