fem·i·nist
ˈfe-mə-nist 
plural feminists
: a person who supports or engages in feminism
Similarly, Saint Thomas's resident nun, Sister Maureen (Ann Dowd), is no girlish cutie: She's an ardent, in-your-face feminist.—
Terrence Rafferty
Terrence RaffertyHe [Stendhal] was a feminist and … he held that to deprive women of education 'deprives society of half its potential for intellectual achievement'.—V. S. Pritchett
V. S. Pritchett
: of, relating to, supporting, or compatible with feminism
feminist theory
the feminist movement
The act of speaking is a way women come to power, telling our stories, sharing history, engaging in feminist discussion.—bell hooks
bell hooks[Patricia] Ireland, past president of the National Organization for Women, is perhaps the best-known former Pan Am flight attendant of the '60s; seven years working for the airline helped inspire her feminist activism, which included campaigning for the Equal Rights Amendment.—Sarah Rose
Sarah RoseExamples of feminist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLindsay Lee Wallace, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
But when an eloquent, estranged feminist makes a very similar argument, ...
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 17 Mar. 2024
Many of the young feminists are the first generation of South Korean women who are more educated than their male peers, as women's college enrollment rates started to exceed men's in 2008.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Why would gender-critical feminists join such a movement?
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Photos: Sneak behind the scenes at A Cause for Tea in Monroe for a sip and a snack
Feminist history of tea houses
Teahouses have roots in feminist and temperance history.
—Kristen Kornbluth, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2024
In a new book, Judith Butler tries to indict gender-critical feminists.
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
What if a feminist’s vaginal allusions were ditched for neon signage?
—Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Then, other organizers, Black feminists who have shown up for me.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024
James Powel, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Monkey Grip, a largely autobiographical novel distilled from Garner’s diaries—autofiction avant la lettre—is the story of a divorced young feminist writer, raising her daughter in a quasi-commune.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the course of history, from the 20th century’s feminist movement to 21st-century movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, social movements have gained traction when allies joined the fight.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Even within the feminist art community, disagreements remain over whether certain kinds of nudes are objectifying or empowering.
—Julia Halperin, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Sonya and her uncle Vanya function as the managers of the estate, where Vanya’s feminist mother, Mama Voinitski (Houdyshell), a nanny named Marina (Katigbak), and a guitar-plucking family friend (Hadary)—the aforementioned Waffles—also live.
—Adrienne Miller, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Some feminist leaders gave Chisholm only equivocal support, offering a more serious endorsement to another candidate.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
The final exhibition before the pandemic was a retrospective of the late Chicana feminist artist Yolanda López, who was raised in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The line quickly became a feminist slogan and is used more broadly today.
—Hadley Heath Manning, National Review, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
The association trans-exclusionary radical feminists have endeavored to build between their bigotry and lesbian identity has also created further distance.
—Lindsay Lee Wallace, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
But when an eloquent, estranged feminist makes a very similar argument, ...
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 17 Mar. 2024
Many of the young feminists are the first generation of South Korean women who are more educated than their male peers, as women's college enrollment rates started to exceed men's in 2008.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Why would gender-critical feminists join such a movement?
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Photos: Sneak behind the scenes at A Cause for Tea in Monroe for a sip and a snack
Feminist history of tea houses
Teahouses have roots in feminist and temperance history.
—Kristen Kornbluth, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2024
In a new book, Judith Butler tries to indict gender-critical feminists.
—Katha Pollitt, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
What if a feminist’s vaginal allusions were ditched for neon signage?
—Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Then, other organizers, Black feminists who have shown up for me.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Take Our Daughters to Work Day began in 1992 in New York City, founded by feminist icon Gloria Steinem as part of the Ms. Foundation.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Monkey Grip, a largely autobiographical novel distilled from Garner’s diaries—autofiction avant la lettre—is the story of a divorced young feminist writer, raising her daughter in a quasi-commune.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024
Over the course of history, from the 20th century’s feminist movement to 21st-century movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, social movements have gained traction when allies joined the fight.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Even within the feminist art community, disagreements remain over whether certain kinds of nudes are objectifying or empowering.
—Julia Halperin, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Sonya and her uncle Vanya function as the managers of the estate, where Vanya’s feminist mother, Mama Voinitski (Houdyshell), a nanny named Marina (Katigbak), and a guitar-plucking family friend (Hadary)—the aforementioned Waffles—also live.
—Adrienne Miller, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Some feminist leaders gave Chisholm only equivocal support, offering a more serious endorsement to another candidate.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
The final exhibition before the pandemic was a retrospective of the late Chicana feminist artist Yolanda López, who was raised in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The line quickly became a feminist slogan and is used more broadly today.
—Hadley Heath Manning, National Review, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feminist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near feminist
Cite this Entry
“Feminist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminist. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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