FEMININE

feminine

(adjective) associated with women and not with men; “feminine intuition”

womanly, feminine

(adjective) befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman; “womanly virtues of gentleness and compassion”

feminine

(adjective) of grammatical gender

feminine

(adjective) (music or poetry) ending on an unaccented beat or syllable; “a feminine ending”

feminine

(noun) a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to females or to objects classified as female

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

feminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

Of or pertaining to the female gender; womanly.

Of or pertaining to the female sex; biologically female, not male.

Belonging to females; typically used by females.

Having the qualities stereotypically associated with women: nurturing, not aggressive.

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

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

Noun

feminine (plural feminines)

That which is feminine.

(rare, possibly obsolete) A woman.

(grammar) The feminine gender.

(grammar) A word of the feminine gender.

Source: Wiktionary

Fem"i*nine, a. Etym: [L. femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to L. fetus, or to Gr. fæmme woman, maid: cf. F. féminin. See Fetus.]

1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; characteristic of a woman; womanish; womanly. Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace. Macaulay.

2. Having the qualities of a woman; becoming or appropriate to the female sex; as, in a good sense, modest, graceful, affectionate, confiding; or, in a bad sense, weak, nerveless, timid, pleasure- loving, effeminate. Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine. Milton. Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy. Sir W. Raleigh.

Fem"i*nine, n.

1. A woman. [Obs. or Colloq.] They guide the feminines toward the palace. Hakluyt.

2. (Gram.)

Definition: Any one of those words which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations usually found in such words; as, actress, songstress, abbess, executrix. There are but few true feminines in English. Latham.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition