female

1 of 2

adjective

fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl How to pronounce female (audio)
Synonyms of femalenext
1
a(1)
: of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to bear young or produce eggs
In a field of milkweed, I watched a female monarch butterfly deposit a single egg on the underside of a leaf.—Tom Tyning
A few months later, she became the highest paid female performer on the Great White Way.—Susannah McCorkle
(2)
botany : having or producing only pistils or pistillate flowers
a female holly
female inflorescences
b
: having a gender identity that is the opposite of male
c
: made up of usually adult members of the female sex : consisting of females
the female workforce
d
: characteristic of girls, women, or the female sex : exhibiting femaleness
composed for female voices
a female name
e
: designed for or typically used by girls or women
a female glove
f
: engaged in or exercised by girls or women
female suffrage
female political power
g
: having a quality (such as small size or delicacy of sound) sometimes associated with the female sex
female castanets
2
of a rhyme : having an unstressed final syllable : feminine sense 4b
a female rhyme
3
: designed with a hollow or groove into which a corresponding male part fits
the female coupling of a hose
femaleness noun

female

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a female person : a woman or a girl
b
: an individual of the sex that is typically capable of bearing young or producing eggs
2
: a pistillate plant

Did you know?

In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning “young woman, girl,” which in turn is based on femina, meaning “woman.” In English, the similarity in form and sound between the words female and male led people to use only the female spelling. This closeness also led to the belief that female comes from or is somehow related to male. However, apart from the influence of male on the modern spelling of female, there is no link between the origins of the two words.

Synonyms

Adjective

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of female in a Sentence

Adjective Most extension cords have a male plug on one end and a female plug on the other. The composer's new music calls for female voices. Noun She attended a school where there were more males than females. Females of this species weigh 8 to 10 pounds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
At club night, Cory works to lock in female alliances. —Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 Our female testers noted that the warmth did come at the cost of a flattering silhouette, but the boxy cut is a price worth paying in the coldest of winter climes. —Abigail Barronian, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
Last week's escapees were described as very young Rhesus macaque females weighing just 6 to 7 pounds and, as yet, unexposed to research. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024 Sigmund Freud cut open over 400 of these fish, and never found testicles—all 400 turned out to be females. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for female 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, alteration of femel, femelle, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French femele, from Medieval Latin femella, from Latin, girl, diminutive of femina

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of female was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near female

FEMA

female

female dragon

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Female.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/female. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

female

1 of 2 noun
fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl How to pronounce female (audio)
: a female plant or animal

female

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs
b
: having only seed-producing flowers
a female holly
2
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the female sex
b
: made up of females
femaleness noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English female "a girl or woman," an altered form of femel, femelle (same meaning), from early French femelle and Latin femella, both meaning "a girl or woman," from earlier Latin femella "a young woman, girl," from femina "woman" — related to feminine

Word Origin
In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning "young woman, girl," which in turn is based on femina, meaning "woman." In English, the similarity in form and sound between the words female and male led people to use only the female spelling. This closeness also led to the belief that female comes from or is somehow related to male. However, apart from the influence of male on the modern spelling of female, there is no link between the origins of the two words.

Medical Definition

female

1 of 2 noun
fe·​male ˈfē-ˌmāl How to pronounce female (audio)
: an individual that bears young or produces eggs as distinguished from one that produces sperm
especially : a woman or girl as distinguished from a man or boy

female

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs

More from Merriam-Webster on female

Nglish: Translation of female for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of female for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about female

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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