feminism

feminism — noun

1. A conviction that women deserve the same standing as men in all areas of society

1.nounB2
Definition

A conviction that women deserve the same standing as men in all areas of society, along with the practical efforts to bring this about.

Example

Roya wrote her final-year paper on the history of feminism in South Asia.

write + paper on + [topic] for academic work

Rin's uncle misunderstood feminism when he asked her, "So you don't like men?"

misunderstood [X] + when-clause showing misconception

Common collocations
  • support feminism
  • believe in feminism
  • the history of feminism
  • the goals of feminism
  • modern / radical / liberal / intersectional feminism
  • the rise / growth of feminism
  • a wave of feminism
Synonyms
  • women's rights movement

    Refers more narrowly to the organized campaigns and legal efforts for women's equality, rather than the broader philosophical system

  • gender equality

    Describes the desired outcome or state itself, not the set of beliefs that work toward it

  • women's liberation

    Associated specifically with the 1960s-70s wave of feminism emphasizing freedom from traditional gender roles

Antonyms
  • misogyny

    The dislike or prejudice against women, directly opposite to the belief in women's equality

  • patriarchy

    A social system where men hold primary power; the structure that feminism seeks to challenge

Usage Note

Distinguish feminism (the belief system and movement) from feminist (a person who believes in and supports that belief system). The suffix -ism marks a doctrine or movement; -ist marks a person who follows it.

Common Mistakes

Feminism means women should have more power than men.
Feminism means women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.
Feminism is about equality, not superiority.
She is a feminism.
She is a feminist.
Feminism is a belief system, not a personal identity label. Use feminist for a person.

Word family

  • feminist
    nounB2
  • feminist
    adjectiveB2
  • femininity
    nounB2
  • feminize
    verbC1
  • feminization
    nounC1
  • anti-feminism
    nounC1
  • pro-feminist
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Feminism is the broadest term of this group — it refers to a system of beliefs and actions based on the idea that women deserve the same opportunities as men. The women's rights movement is more specific: it describes the organized campaigns, protests, and legal battles that put those beliefs into practice. Gender equality names the goal itself — a state where women and men share equal standing in society — rather than the process of getting there. Women's liberation (often shortened to women's lib) belongs to a particular historical wave of feminism in the 1960s-70s that emphasized breaking free from traditional roles. Equal rights is the most general phrase and can apply to any group, not just women. A concrete example: 'She believed in feminism and joined a local women's rights movement to push for equal pay laws.'

feminism ↗women's rights movementgender equalitywomen's liberationequal rights

Common collocations

Nouns

  • feminism movement
  • feminism theory
  • feminism studies

Phrases

  • a form of feminism
  • a branch of feminism

Prepositions

  • feminism about
  • feminism within
  • feminism in [region/era]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Feminism comes from Latin femina meaning 'woman,' combined with the suffix -ism (from Greek -ismos, denoting a doctrine or system). The English word was borrowed from French féminisme, which was first used in the 1830s-40s by the utopian socialist Charles Fourier. The term entered common English use around the 1890s during the first wave of organized campaigns for women's voting rights.