woman

noun

wom·​an ˈwu̇-mən How to pronounce woman (audio)
especially Southern
ˈwō- How to pronounce woman (audio)
or
ˈwə- How to pronounce woman (audio)
plural women ˈwi-mən How to pronounce woman (audio)
1
a
: an adult female person
b
: a woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation)
usually used in combination
councilwoman
2
3
: distinctively feminine nature : womanliness
4
: a woman who is a servant or personal attendant
5
a
chiefly dialectal : wife
b
6
: a woman who is extremely fond of or devoted to something specified
I'm a chocolate woman through and through, but one bite of West's banana pudding cupcake and I was sold.Hattie Brown Garrow
woman adjective
womanless
ˈwu̇-mən-ləs How to pronounce woman (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈwō-
 or  ˈwə-
adjective

Examples of woman in a Sentence

She grew up to become a confident and beautiful woman. She is a grown woman. The store sells shoes for both men and women.
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.
Arizona voters don't shy away from female candidates, but will Americans ever put a woman in the White House? Christopher Howley, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024 Texas women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer now knows exactly what his peers think about his team. Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 The film follows a shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024 Compared to men’s, women’s patented biomedical inventions in the U.S. are 35% more likely to benefit women’s healthcare needs. Corinne Post, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for woman 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English wīfman, from wīf woman, wife + man human being, man

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of woman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near woman

Cite this Entry

“Woman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woman. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

woman

noun
wom·​an ˈwu̇m-ən How to pronounce woman (audio)
plural women ˈwim-ən How to pronounce woman (audio)
1
: an adult female person
2
3
: a woman who is a servant or attendant
Etymology

Old English wīfman "a female person," from wīf "woman, wife" and man "person"

More from Merriam-Webster on woman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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