feminine

feminine
I
(Roget's IV) modif.
1. [Belonging to the feminine sex]
Syn. female, distaff, pistillate; see female 2 .
2. [Having qualities stereotypically associated with women]
Syn. soft, womanly, delicate, gentle, ladylike, female, matronly, maidenly, sensitive, tender, womanish, graceful, changeable, fair, fluttering, shy, yielding, passive, vixenish, effeminate, unmanly; see also dainty 1 , refined 2 , womanly .
Ant. masculine, mainly, virile.
Syn.- feminine refers to qualities, other than those basically biological, thought to be characteristic of or suitable to women, as delicacy, gentleness, etc.; female is the basic term applied to members of the sex that is biologically distinguished from the male sex and is used of animals or plants as well as of human beings; womanly suggests the generally deSirable qualities one associates with a woman, esp. one who has maturity of character; womanish , in contrast, suggests weaknesses and faults that are sometimes regarded as characteristic of women; effeminate , used chiefly in reference to a man, implies delicacy, softness, or lack of virility; ladylike refers to manners, conduct, etc. such as are expected from a refined or well-bred woman
II
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) a.
female, womanly, girlish, ladylike, soft, gentle, genteel, effeminate.
ANT.: masculine, manly, macho
III
(Roget's Thesaurus II) adjective 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of women: distaff, female, womanish, womanly. See GENDER. 2. Having qualities more appropriate to women than to men: effeminate, epicene, sissi-fied, sissyish, unmanly, womanish. See GENDER.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • feminine — mid 14c., of the female sex, from O.Fr. femenin (12c.) feminine, female; with feminine qualities, effeminate, from L. femininus feminine (in the grammatical sense at first), from femina woman, female, lit. she who suckles, from root of felare to… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Feminine — Fem i*nine, a. [L. femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to L. fetus, or to Gr. qh^sqai to suck, qh^sai to suckle, Skr. dh[=a] to suck; cf. AS. f[=ae]mme woman, maid: cf. F. f[ e]minin. See {Fetus}.] 1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • feminine — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having qualities traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness. 2) female. 3) Grammar referring to a gender of nouns and adjectives, conventionally regarded as female. ► NOUN (the feminine) ▪ the female… …   English terms dictionary

  • feminine — [fem′ə nin] adj. [ME < OFr < L femininus < femina, woman] 1. female; of women or girls 2. having qualities regarded as characteristic of women and girls, as gentleness, weakness, delicacy, or modesty 3. suitable to or characteristic of a …   English World dictionary

  • Feminine — Fem i*nine, n. 1. A woman. [Obs. or Colloq.] [1913 Webster] They guide the feminines toward the palace. Hakluyt. [1913 Webster] 2. (Gram.) Any one of those words which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations usually found… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • feminine — *female, womanly, womanish, ladylike, womanlike, effeminate Antonyms: masculine Contrasted words: *male, manly, mannish, virile, manlike, manful …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • féminine — ● féminin, féminine adjectif (latin femininus, de femina, femme) Qui est propre à la femme : Le charme féminin. Se dit d un groupe composé de femmes : Équipe féminine. Qui a rapport aux femmes : Vêtements féminins. Qui est destiné, réservé aux… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • feminine — 01. Her father thought that women who were strong and confident were not really [feminine]. 02. The traditional [feminine] role is that of a housewife and mother. 03. Our apartment has a very [feminine] look with its soft colors, and pictures of… …   Grammatical examples in English

  • feminine — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French feminin, from Latin femininus, from femina woman; akin to Old English delu nipple, Latin filius son, felix, fetus, & fecundus fruitful, felare to suck, Greek thēlē nipple Date: 14th… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • feminine — [[t]fe̱mɪnɪn[/t]] 1) ADJ: usu ADJ n Feminine qualities and things relate to or are considered typical of women, in contrast to men. ...male leaders worrying about their women abandoning traditional feminine roles. ...a manufactured ideal of… …   English dictionary

  • Féminine — Féminité La féminité est l’ensemble des caractères morphologiques psychologiques et comportementaux propres aux femmes. Ils sont biologiquement liés au sexe et fortement influencés, voire conditionnés par l’environnement socioculturel. Ils sont… …   Wikipédia en Français

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