feminism

noun

fem·​i·​nism ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce feminism (audio)
: 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
feministic adjective

Examples of feminism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The history of moms at work Stay-at-home motherhood is sometimes portrayed as a natural or original state of humanity, something women began to deviate from around, say, the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. Anna North, Vox, 26 June 2025 Third-wave feminism and its attendant media turned dieting (or at least talking about it) into something archaic and deeply uncool. Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025 But amid the rise of second-wave feminism and the gay-liberation movement, the champions of sociobiology and its successor field, evolutionary psychology, focused more and more on arguing that differences between men and women were, in fact, rooted in biology, not just social conditioning. Erik Baker, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 This year, the finalists include plenty of heavy-hitters, writing about a wide array of political topics, from the Russian state to technology to feminism to climate change. Literary Hub, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for feminism

Word History

Etymology

see feminine entry 1

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of feminism was in 1893

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feminism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

feminism

noun
fem·​i·​nism ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce feminism (audio)
1
: the theory supporting the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2
: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests
feminist noun or adjective
feministic adjective

Medical Definition

feminism

noun
fem·​i·​nism ˈfem-ə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce feminism (audio)
: the presence of female characteristics in males

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