feminine Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to females or to objects classified as female
  2. adjective associated with women and not with men
    • feminine intuition
  3. adjective of grammatical gender
  4. adjective befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman
    womanly.
    • womanly virtues of gentleness and compassion
  5. adjective satellite (music or poetry) ending on an unaccented beat or syllable
    • a feminine ending

WordNet

Fem"i*nine adjective
Etymology
L. femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to L. fetus, or to Gr. to suck, to suckle, Skr. dha to suck; cf. AS. fæmme woman, maid: cf. F. féminin. See Fetus.
Definitions
  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 noun
Definitions
  1. A woman. Obs. or Colloq.
    They guide the feminines toward the palace. Hakluyt.
  2. (Gram.) 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.

Webster 1913