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

Accommodations, too, focus on spotlighting women and include a stay at Camilla’s House, which is named after Norwegian writer Camilla Collett, who was once a former tenant—and is widely considered Norway’s first feminist. —Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 3 Mar. 2025

Mickey knows everybody—the real housewives of Mumbai, feminists who work with his charity, sundry hot guys who are strewn in his path. —Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2025

Adjective

The film’s attempts at making a feminist statement are just as surface-level. —Beandrea July, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025

To showcase the anthemic song, which reflects on women’s rights, Paloma recreated iconic feminist art installation The Dinner Party, with choreography that paid homage to the history of the movement. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025

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