femininity

noun

fem·​i·​nin·​i·​ty ˌfe-mə-ˈni-nə-tē 

1

: the quality or nature of the female sex : the quality, state, or degree of being feminine or womanly

challenging traditional notions about femininity and masculinity

… the women were visions of powerful femininity.

—Alan Shipnuck

2

: woman, womankind

… he was now to contrast her sharply with the best of what the Old World had to offer in the matter of femininity …

—Theodore Dreiser

Synonyms

• feminity
• muliebrity
• womanhood
• womanishness
• womanliness

Examples of femininity in a Sentence

national costumes that accent masculinity and femininity

Recent Examples on the Web

But our fascination with women in water—an element long associated with femininity—goes back centuries. —Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024

Cinq à Sept Jane Siskin looked to the many fashion trends of the ‘60s and ‘70s for Cinq à Sept’s resort 2025 collection, offering an array of dresses, suiting and separates that embodied the brand’s signature femininity. —Emily Mercer, WWD, 19 June 2024

As one of the few women working in the pest control sector, McGrath encourages people to follow their passions fearlessly by proving that femininity and strength are not mutually exclusive. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 20 May 2024

Students researching a global gender policy capstone cover a wide variety of topics revealing discriminatory gender norms and hierarchical orders of masculinities, femininities, and sexualities. —Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing femininity

• hyper-femininity

Medical Definition

femininity

noun

fem·​i·​nin·​i·​ty ˌfem-ə-ˈnin-ət-ē 

plural femininities

: the quality or nature of the female sex