noun
Common
feminism
FEH-mih-nihzm
Feminism (noun) means a movement and set of beliefs advocating that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Example: “Her thesis traced the history of feminism from the suffrage movement onward.”
noun
1
A movement and set of beliefs advocating that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.
"Her thesis traced the history of feminism from the suffrage movement onward."
"Many students choose to study feminism as part of a course on social history."
"Her grandmother's interest in feminism began when she joined a local women's group."
How to use feminism
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe political and social movement for gender equality.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
first-wave feminism
a feminism scholar
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Word forms
- Plural
- feminisms
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Her thesis traced the history of _____ from the suffrage movement onward.
Etymology
Borrowed from French féminisme around 1837, from Latin femina ("woman"). It originally meant simply "the state of being feminine" in English before taking on its modern political sense around 1895.
Class of 1837
feminism joined the language around 1837.
See the full Class of 1837 →
Synonyms
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women's rights movement
gender equality movement
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for feminism
See all rhymes for feminism →Frequently asked questions
What does “feminism” mean?
The word “feminism” means a movement and set of beliefs advocating that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. In plain terms, the political and social movement for gender equality.
How do you pronounce “feminism”?
“Feminism” is pronounced FEH-mih-nihzm (/ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/ in IPA).
How do you use “feminism” in a sentence?
Here is “feminism” used in a sentence: “Her thesis traced the history of feminism from the suffrage movement onward.”
What is the opposite of “feminism”?
The opposite of “feminism” — its antonyms — is antifeminism.
What part of speech is “feminism”?
“Feminism” is a noun.
Where does the word “feminism” come from?
The word “feminism” dates back to around 1837 and comes from Latin. Borrowed from French féminisme around 1837, from Latin femina ("woman"). It originally meant simply "the state of being feminine" in English before taking on its modern political sense around 1895.
Is “feminism” a common word?
“Feminism” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between "feminism" and "gender equality"?
"Feminism" is the movement and set of beliefs advocating that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men, while "gender equality" is the broader state of fairness between genders that feminism works toward achieving.
Is "feminism" a movement or a belief system?
It is both: feminism functions as an organized social and political movement with activism and advocacy, and also as a set of beliefs, or ideology, about equal rights for women.
What is the difference between "feminism" and "feminist"?
"Feminism" is the noun naming the movement or belief system itself, while "feminist" is used both as a noun for a supporter of feminism and as an adjective describing something related to it, such as "feminist literature."
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