feminist

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noun

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

He [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

feminist

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adjective

: 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

[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

Examples of feminist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The art world has slowly started to embrace the painter as a forward-thinking feminist whose works shed light on the invisible labor performed by women. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2024

Could Maxine’s relentless mission be positioning her to become an accidental feminist? —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2024

Adjective

Additionally, Grohl’s former band Nirvana has a long history of uplifting female artists and the feminist movement, including the Riot Grrrl bands of the 90’s. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 24 June 2024

Her first film role, in Fred Zinnemann’s feminist melodrama Julia, starring Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, would follow in 1977. —Francesca Pellegrini, Vogue, 22 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing feminist

• anti-feminist
• pre-feminist
• trans exclusionary radical feminist