feminine

feminine

See also: féminine

English

Alternative forms

• f., f (abbreviation, grammar)
• fœminine (hypercorrect, obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English feminine, femynyne, femynyn, from Old French feminin, feminine, from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-eh₂ (“(the one) nursing, breastfeeding”). Related to fetus, feminism, filial, fellatio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/, /ˈfɛmənɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

feminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

1. Of or pertaining to the female gender; womanly.
2. Of or pertaining to the female sex; biologically female, not male.
3. Belonging to females; typically used by females.

   Mary, Elizabeth, and Edith are feminine names.

4. Having the qualities stereotypically associated with women: nurturing, not aggressive.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine.

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323:

     Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace.

   • 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], OCLC 37026674, (please specify |book=1 to 5):

     Ninias being esteemed no man of warre at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy.

5. (grammar) Of, pertaining or belonging to the female grammatical gender, in languages that have gender distinctions.

   Synonym: female

   Coordinate terms: masculine, neuter, common

   1. (of a noun) Being of the feminine class or grammatical gender, and inflected in that manner.
   2. (of another part of speech) Being inflected in agreement with a feminine noun.
6. (grammar, Mongolic languages, of any word) Having the vowel harmony of a front vowel.

   Coordinate term: masculine

Synonyms

• (of the female sex): female, womanly
• (having qualities stereotypical of the female gender): caring, ladylike, nurturing

Antonyms

• (of the female sex): male, manly
• (having qualities stereotypical of the female gender): butch, masculine
• (grammar): masculine, neuter

Derived terms

• feminine hygiene
• femininely
• feminineness
• feminine of center
• feminine product
• feminine rhyme
• femininity
• feminize
• masculofeminine

 

Translations

of the female sex

Arabic: نِسَائِيّ‎ (nisāʾiyy) Armenian: իգական (hy) (igakan) Belarusian: жано́чы (žanóčy), жано́цкі (žanócki) Bulgarian: же́нски (žénski) Czech: ženský (cs) Danish: kvindelig (da) Esperanto: ina (eo) Faroese: kvinnuligur Finnish: naispuolinen (fi), naaras-, naaraspuolinen (fi) French: féminin (fr) Galician: feminino (gl) Georgian: მდედრობითი (mdedrobiti), ქალური (kaluri) German: feminin (de), weiblich (de) Greek: θηλυκός (el) (thilykós) Ancient: θῆλυς (thêlus) Hungarian: női (hu), nőstény (hu), nőnemű (hu) Indonesian: feminin (id) Irish: baineann Italian: femminile (it) Japanese: 女らしい (おんならしい, onnarashii), 女性らしい (じょせいらしい, joseirashii), 女の (ja) (おんなの, onna no) Kazakh: әйелдік (äieldık) Korean: 여자답다 (yeojadapda), 녀자답다 (nyeojadapda) (North Korea) Latvian: sievišķīgs, sievišķs, sieviešu Manx: bwoirrin Marathi: स्त्रैण (straiṇ) Middle Persian: [script needed] (m'tk') Norwegian: Bokmål: feminin Nynorsk: feminin Oriya: ସ୍ତ୍ରୈଣ (strôiṇô) Pashto: ښځينه‎ (ps) (ẍëźina) Polish: żeński (pl) Portuguese: feminino (pt) Punjabi: زَنانہ‎ (zanānh) Russian: же́нский (ru) (žénskij) Slovak: ženský (sk) Spanish: femenino (es) Swedish: kvinnlig (sv), feminin (sv) Tocharian B: klaiññe Turkish: dişil (tr) Ukrainian: жіно́чий (uk) (žinóčyj) Vietnamese: nữ giới (vi) Volapük: vomik (vo) West Frisian: froulik Zazaki: maki (diq), mayki (diq)

belonging to females

Armenian: կնոջ (knoǰ) Belarusian: жано́чы (žanóčy) Bulgarian: же́нски (žénski) Cebuano: pangbabaye Chinese: Mandarin: 女性的 (zh) (nǚxìng de) Danish: kvinde- (da), feminin Finnish: naisten (fi) French: féminin (fr) Georgian: ქალური (kaluri) German: feminin (de), weiblich (de) Greek: γυναικείος (el) (gynaikeíos) Hungarian: női (hu) Indonesian: feminin (id) Italian: femminile (it) Japanese: 女性の (ja) (じょせいの, josei no) Korean: 여성의 (ko) (yeoseong-ui), 녀성의 (ko) (nyeoseong-ui) (North Korea) Latvian: sievišķīgs, sievišķs, sieviešu Macedonian: женски (ženski) Manx: bwoirrin Norwegian: Bokmål: feminin Nynorsk: feminin Pashto: ښځينه‎ (ps) (ẍëźina) Portuguese: feminino (pt) Russian: же́нский (ru) (žénskij) Slovak: ženský (sk), dievčenský Spanish: femenil, de mujeres Swedish: kvinnlig (sv), feminin (sv) Ukrainian: жіно́чий (uk) (žinóčyj) Volapük: vomik (vo) West Frisian: froulik Zazaki: maykek, nerimako

having the qualities associated with women

Albanian: femëror (sq) Armenian: կանացի (hy) (kanacʿi) Aromanian: feamin Belarusian: жано́чы (žanóčy), жано́цкі (žanócki) Bulgarian: же́нствен (bg) (žénstven), же́нски (žénski) Danish: kvindelig (da), feminin Esperanto: ina (eo) Finnish: naisellinen (fi), feminiininen (fi), naismainen (fi), napsu (fi) French: féminin (fr) Galician: feminino (gl) Georgian: ქალური (kaluri) German: feminin (de), weiblich (de) Greek: γυναικείος (el) (gynaikeíos) Hungarian: nőies (hu) Indonesian: feminin (id) Irish: baineann Middle Irish: banamail Italian: femminile (it) Japanese: 女性的な (ja) (じょせいてきな, joseiteki na), 女らしい (おんならしい, onnarashii), フェミニンな (ja) (feminin na) Korean: 나약하다 (ko) (nayakhada), 여자답다 (yeojadapda), 녀자답다 (nyeojadapda) (North Korea) Latin: fēminīnus (la), muliebris (la) Latvian: sievišķīgs, sievišķs, sieviešu Lithuanian: moteriškas (lt) Macedonian: женствен (ženstven), женски (ženski) Manx: benoil, bwoirrin Marathi: बायकी (bāykī) Norwegian: Bokmål: feminin Nynorsk: feminin Pashto: ښځينه‎ (ps) (ẍëźina) Persian: زنانه‎ (fa) (zanâna) Polish: kobiecy (pl) Portuguese: feminino (pt) Punjabi: زَنانہ‎ (zanānh) Romanian: feminin (ro), femeiesc (ro) Russian: же́нский (ru) (žénskij), же́нственный (ru) (žénstvennyj) Scottish Gaelic: banail Slovak: ženský (sk) Spanish: femenino (es) Swedish: kvinnlig (sv), feminin (sv) Turkish: feminen (tr), kadınsı (tr) Ukrainian: жіно́чий (uk) (žinóčyj), жіно́чний (žinóčnyj), жіно́цький (žinócʹkyj) Vietnamese: nữ tính (vi) Volapük: vomik (vo) West Frisian: froulik Zazaki: feminem

of the feminine grammatical gender distinction

Albanian: femëror (sq) Arabic: مُؤَنَّث‎ (ar) (muʾannaṯ) Armenian: իգական (hy) (igakan) Belarusian: жано́чы (žanóčy) Breton: benel (br) Bulgarian: же́нски (žénski) Cebuano: pangbabaye Chechen: зударийн род (zudariin rod) Chinese: Mandarin: 陰性／阴性 (zh) (yīnxìng) Czech: ženský (cs) Danish: hunkøns- (da) Dutch: vrouwelijk (nl) Finnish: feminiininen (fi) French: féminin (fr) Galician: feminino (gl) Georgian: მდედრობითი სქესი (mdedrobiti skesi), მდედრობითი (mdedrobiti) German: feminin (de), weiblich (de) Greek: θηλυκός (el) (thilykós) Ancient: θηλυκός (thēlukós) Hebrew: נקבה‎ (he) f (nekeva) Hindi: स्त्रीलिंग (hi) (strīliṅg) Hungarian: nőnemű (hu) Icelandic: kvenkyns- Indonesian: feminin (id) Irish: baininscneach Italian: femminile (it) Japanese: 女性 (ja) (じょせい, josei) Khmer: ភេទស្រី (pheitsrəy) Korean: 여성(女性) (ko) (yeoseong), 녀성(女性) (ko) (nyeoseong) (North Korea) Latin: fēminīnus (la) Latvian: sieviešu, sieviešu dzimtes Lithuanian: moteriškos giminės (genitive), moteriškas (lt) Macedonian: женски (ženski) Maltese: please add this translation if you can Manx: bwoirrin Marathi: स्त्रीलिंगी (strīliṅgī) Middle Persian: [script needed] (m'tk') Neapolitan: femminile Norwegian: hunkjønn (no) Bokmål: feminin Nynorsk: feminin Occitan: femenin (oc) Pashto: ښځينه‎ (ps) (ẍëźina) Polish: żeński (pl) Portuguese: feminino (pt) Punjabi: زَنانہ‎ (zanānh), ਇਸਤਰੀਲਿੰਗ (isatrīliṅg) Russian: же́нский (ru) (žénskij) Scottish Gaelic: boireann Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: жѐнскӣ Roman: žènskī (sh) Slovak: ženský (sk) Slovene: ženski (sl) Sorbian: Upper Sorbian: žónski ród Spanish: femenino (es) Swedish: feminin (sv) Telugu: స్త్రీలింగము (te) (strīliṅgamu) Turkish: dişil (tr) Ukrainian: жіно́чий (uk) (žinóčyj) Urdu: مُؤَنَّث‎ (mu'annas) Vietnamese: giống cái (vi) Volapük: vomik (vo) Welsh: benywaidd (cy) Yiddish: פֿעמינין‎ (feminin) Zazaki: mayki (diq), mari

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Hebrew: (please verify) נִקְבִּי‎ (nikbí) Marathi: (please verify) रत्रीविषयक (ratrīviṣyak) Scottish Gaelic: (please verify) banail, (please verify) boireannach, (please verify) màlda

Noun

feminine (plural feminines)

1. That which is feminine.
2. (rare, possibly obsolete) A woman.
   • 1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], OCLC 753964576:

     They guide the feminines toward the Pallace.

3. (grammar) The feminine gender.
4. (grammar) A word of the feminine gender.
   • 1860, Robert Gordon Latham, An Elementary English Grammar: For the Use of Schools

     The different words belong to different systems, and are no more the masculines and feminines of one another

Translations

that which is feminine

Dutch: vrouwelijke (nl) n Greek: θηλυκό (el) n (thilykó) Latvian: sievišķīgais

woman — see woman

(grammar)

Arabic: مُؤَنَّث‎ (ar) m (muʾannaṯ) Belarusian: жано́чы род m (žanóčy rod) Bulgarian: же́нски род m (žénski rod) Burmese: ဣတ္ထိလိင် (my) (ithti.ling) Catalan: femení (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 陰性／阴性 (zh) (yīnxìng) Czech: ženský rod m Danish: femininum (da) m or c Esperanto: ingenro, femineno Finnish: feminiini (fi) French: féminin (fr) m German: Femininum (de) n Greek: θηλυκό (el) n (thilykó) Hindi: स्त्रीलिंग (hi) m (strīliṅg) Hungarian: nőnem (hu) Irish: baininscne f Italian: femminile (it) m Japanese: 女性 (ja) (じょせい, josei) Khmer: ឥត្ថីលិង្គ (ət'tʰəj-ləŋ) Korean: 여성 (ko) (yeoseong) Latvian: sieviešu dzimte f Lithuanian: moteriškoji giminė (lt) f Pashto: ښځينه‎ (ps) f (ẍëźina) Persian: مؤنث‎ (fa) (mo'annas) Polish: rodzaj żeński (pl) m Portuguese: feminino (pt) m Russian: же́нский род (ru) m (žénskij rod) Sanskrit: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (sa) (strīliṅga) Slovak: ženský rod m Spanish: femenino (es) m Swedish: femininum (sv) n Tamil: பெண்பால் (ta) (peṇpāl) Ukrainian: жіно́чий рід (uk) m (žinóčyj rid) Vietnamese: giống cái (vi) West Frisian: froulik

a word of the feminine gender

Hungarian: nőnemű alak Slovak: slovo ženského rodu

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: (please verify) féminin (fr) m (2) Italian: (please verify) femminile (it) Japanese: (please verify) 女性 (ja) (じょせい, josei) (1,2) Scottish Gaelic: (please verify) banail, (please verify) boireann, (please verify) màlda

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

feminine

1. inflection of feminin:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fe.miˈni.ne/
• Rhymes: -ine
• Hyphenation: fe‧mi‧nì‧ne

Adjective

feminine

1. feminine plural of feminino

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Latin

Etymology 1

From fēminīnus (“feminine”) +‎ -ē.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /feː.miˈniː.neː/, [feːmɪˈniːneː]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /fe.miˈni.ne/, [femiˈniːne]

Adverb

fēminīnē (comparative fēminīnius, superlative fēminīnissimē)

1. femininely, womanly

Related terms

• fēmella
• fēmellārius
• fēmina
• fēminātus
• fēmineus
• fēminīnus
• fēminō

 

Etymology 2

Inflected form of fēminīnus (“feminine”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /feː.miˈniː.ne/, [feːmɪˈniːnɛ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /fe.miˈni.ne/, [femiˈniːne]

Adjective

fēminīne

1. vocative masculine singular of fēminīnus

References

• “feminine”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• feminine in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette

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Middle English

Adjective

feminine

1. Alternative form of femynyne

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Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

feminine

1. definite singular of feminin
2. plural of feminin

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

feminine

1. definite singular of feminin
2. plural of feminin

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /femiˈnine/

Adjective

feminine

1. feminine/neuter plural nominative/accusative of feminin

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Swedish

Adjective

feminine

1. absolute definite natural masculine singular of feminin.