womanhood

noun

wom·an·hood | \ ˈwu̇-mən-ˌhu̇d

, especially Southern ˈwō- or ˈwə-\

Definition of womanhood

1a : the state of being a woman

b : the distinguishing character or qualities of a woman or of womankind

2 : women, womankind

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about womanhood

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Examples of womanhood in a Sentence

a young girl on the verge of womanhood What is your view of womanhood? The book is a celebration of womanhood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Being on the world stage as an openly transgender woman in a role that’s traditionally been held up as the the ultimate embodiment of womanhood is damn impressive (and overdue). — Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, "Miss Universe Is Making History with the Pageant's First Openly Trans Contestant," 15 Dec. 2018 Read on for her thoughts on letting the moment guide her art, not allowing fixations on her queerness, blackness, or womanhood to overshadow her music, and the feeling that followed the release of Free Form. — Alexa Eschert, Teen Vogue, "Dizzy Fae Opens Up About a Year in the Spotlight," 29 Nov. 2018 Of course, womanhood is not defined by fertility or pregnancy. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "In an Emotional Video, Gigi Gorgeous Explains the Challenges of Wanting to Start a Family as a Trans Woman," 29 Aug. 2018 Often, Lee’s idea of progressive womanhood is any gal who’s as openly horny as a dude. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "The BlacKkKlansman team previously made the daring Chi-Raq, now streaming on Amazon," 10 Aug. 2018 Here was a trans girl trying to navigate a world that was constantly assaulting her, citing essentialist notions of womanhood which reflected real-world trans experiences. — Kt Hawbaker, Chicago Reader, "What were you watching, reading, or listening to when you first came out?," 15 June 2018 Historically, Black womanhood has been inseparable from motherhood, with Black female slaves expected to have children in order to create more slaves, and later relegated to domestic labor that included midwifery and childcare. — refinery29.com, "Have Portrayals Of Black Motherhood On Screen Ever Reflected Real Life?," 9 May 2018 Historians attribute much of the focus on gender to the world’s definitive witch-hunting manual the Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches, which established a strong link between womanhood and witchcraft. — Erin Cassese, Vox, "A political history of the term “witch hunt”," 31 Oct. 2018 Michael Jackson is forever the King of Pop, but this current regime is world-changing in a uniquely modern way that is re-calibrating popular culture and giving a look into Black womanhood on the highest profile stage. — Stereo Williams, Billboard, "Why Comparing Beyonce to Michael Jackson Shouldn't Shock Anyone Anymore," 20 Apr. 2018

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