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feminine

[fem-uh-nin]

Example Sentences Origin

adjective

pertaining to a woman or girl: feminine beauty; feminine dress.

having qualities traditionally ascribed to women, as sensitivity or gentleness.

effeminate; womanish: a man with a feminine walk.

belonging to the female sex; female: feminine staff members.

Grammar. noting or pertaining to that one of the three genders of Latin, Greek, German, etc., or one of the two genders of French, Spanish, hebrew, etc., having among its members most nouns referring to females, as well as other nouns, as Latin stella “star,” or German Zeit “time.”

noun Grammar.

the feminine gender.

a noun or other element in or marking that gender.

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Feminine is always a great word to know.

So is circumflex. Does it mean:

a symbol (∼) indicating equivalency or similarity between two values.

a circumflex mark or accent.

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Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French: feminine of feminin < L of fēminīnus, equivalent to fēmin(a) woman (see fetus) + -īnus -ine¹

Related forms

fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

fem·i·nine·ness, noun

an·ti·fem·i·nine, adjective

an·ti·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

an·ti·fem·i·nine·ness, noun

EXPAND

half-fem·i·nine, adjective

hy·per·fem·i·nine, adjective

hy·per·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

hy·per·fem·i·nine·ness, noun

o·ver·fem·i·nine, adjective

o·ver·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

pseu·do·fem·i·nine, adjective

su·per·fem·i·nine, adjective

ul·tra·fem·i·nine, adjective

un·fem·i·nine, adjective

un·fem·i·nine·ly, adverb

COLLAPSE

Can be confused: 1. female, feminine (see synonym note at female); 2. effeminate, effete, feminine, womanish, womanly (see synonym note at womanly).

Synonyms
2. See female.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To feminine

Example Sentences

The suggestion is that karate would toughen up that feminine boy.

Making a spectacle out of oneself seemed a specifically feminine danger.

Moreover, some role models not only look pretty, but are supporting feminine causes too.

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The suggestion is that karate would toughen up that feminine boy.

Making a spectacle out of oneself seemed a specifically feminine danger.

Moreover, some role models not only look pretty, but are supporting feminine causes too.

Follow as one woman transforms herself into a traditional icon of feminine beauty, and it's not easy.

Not wanting a baby today, or any day, does not make you less feminine.

Perhaps, if an entertainer, the required uniform was complete feminine dress.

She also liked how blatantly feminine it looks with its ruffled edges and show-off colors.

Drop-tube frame isn't explicitly masculine or feminine.

Today, women are less likely to perceive breast cancer as an attack on their innate feminine nature.

The masculine brain differs from the feminine brain in several ways.

It is a complementary match of masculine and feminine characters.

Belt the tunic over pants or tights for a more feminine look.

The more feminine you look, the more children you want.

Penstemon and desert marigold look twice as flowery and feminine with a few of these macho characters in their midst.

But a guy with no hair, be it on his legs or chest or arms would look too feminine.

Drinking is a protest against the imposition of a culturally constructed feminine asceticism.

To add a feminine touch with a women candidate get the party's position closer to centre and appeal more independent voters.

Princess seams add subtle shaping while a crossover v-neck adds a nice feminine touch.

Numerous studies have shown that women are considered more feminine and attractive when their pupils are dilated.

There is nothing inherently feminine about any of those buildings.

Gradually male machismo is undermined by feminine wiles, and it is the no-nonsense woman who makes fools of them both.

It was hard for me to find a simple feminine cut with a neck that was not overly high.

In the first paragraph, there are three feminine pronouns.

It was not a fashionable position-novels were considered too trivial and feminine in her day-but she defended it without apology.

In some languages both lovers will be masculine, in others both feminine.

It also has nice lines, so still looks feminine and is not bulky.

The tactile and visual element of feminine beauty may preoccupy some men and only requires a small investment.

These feminine focused areas, or the collective anima of our society, are losing ground now.

Seams are thoughtfully placed for chafe-free mobility and contoured shaping, resulting in a bulk-free, feminine fit.

Gathering detail at neck adds feminine style, while ribbing at neck and sleeves adds a secure, casual fit.

New research suggests that appealing to feminine tastes throughout the animal kingdom is more complicated than anyone anticipated.

Take the shirt of his back, but add your own feminine charms.

The pharaoh may have had a genetic defect that gave him a feminine physique, a scientist says.

Here though she is much more typically feminine and has features that match the manufactured look of film starlets.

Billy required the feminine pronoun, and apparently they were related by marriage.

As for high-heels, they hoist the derrière and make the gait more feminine and physically attractive.

Art from this period shows her wearing feminine garb but capped with the headdress of a male king.

Though it has lost its importance to the modern feminine heart, nevertheless, leap year arrives backed by a venerable.

Complications, or feminine fussiness, weren't a part of her.

Kimberly-Clark, a maker of feminine sanitary products, launched an advergame called.

If you are not awkward in more feminine dress, consider it.

We should not think this issue as feminine thing but as universal problems.

The feminine males' objective is to appear stylish and attractive and enjoys the pursuit and availability.

Monotheism quite neatly did away with goddesses and the feminine divine, since inevitably the one deity left standing was male.

Kitten heels are great: they're comfortable and easy to pack, but still feminine and elegant.

Other features include feminine gathering detail on the front and cuffs, and two lower zip handwarmer pockets.

It's a striking blend of feminine styling with comfortable slip-on convenience.

Suit-coat lapels and buttons combine with a fitted cut for a sweetly feminine blazer silhouette.

These goggles feature slimmer fitting, compact frames in women's colors matched with feminine straps.

The feminine curves of the lens and frame will provide the coverage needed when performing in the sports you love.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

feminine (ˈfɛmɪnɪn)

—*adj*
1.	suitable to or characteristic of a woman: a feminine fashion
2.	possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a woman
3.	effeminate; womanish
4.	grammar
	a. denoting or belonging to a gender of nouns, occurring in many inflected languages, that includes all kinds of referents as well as some female animate referents
	b. (as noun): German Zeit ``time'' and Ehe ``marriage'' are feminines

[C14: from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina woman]

'femininely

—*adv*

'feminineness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

feminine

late 14c., "of the female sex," from O.Fr. feminin, from L. femininus "feminine" (in the grammatical sense at first), from femina "woman, female," lit. "she who suckles," from base of felare "to suck, suckle" (see fecund). Sense of "woman-like, proper to or characteristic

EXPAND

of women" is recorded from mid-15c.

COLLAPSE

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