feminist

1 of 2

noun

fem·​i·​nist ˈfe-mə-nist 

plural feminists

: a person who supports or engages in feminism

Similarly, Saint Thomas's resident nun, Sister Maureen (Ann Dowd), is no girlish cutie: She's an ardent, in-your-face feminist.

—Terrence Rafferty

He [Stendhal] was a feminist and … he held that to deprive women of education 'deprives society of half its potential for intellectual achievement'.

—V. S. Pritchett

feminist

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adjective

: of, relating to, supporting, or compatible with feminism

feminist theory

the feminist movement

The act of speaking is a way women come to power, telling our stories, sharing history, engaging in feminist discussion.

—bell hooks

[Patricia] Ireland, past president of the National Organization for Women, is perhaps the best-known former Pan Am flight attendant of the '60s; seven years working for the airline helped inspire her feminist activism, which included campaigning for the Equal Rights Amendment.

—Sarah Rose

Examples of feminist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Perle Mesta, a staunch feminist and believer in civil rights, broke barriers in 1949 by insisting that Truman's inaugural balls be integrated. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2025

Other comparisons focus on the fact Baldoni has long publicly spoken about being a feminist. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2025

Adjective

But many women are citing another reason: the idea that removing your pubic hair is casting off the male gaze and is inherently feminist. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2025

The title Emilia Pérez is meant to be a catchphrase — a shibboleth — honoring the trans movement as a fulfillment of the feminist movement. —Armond White, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1852, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing feminist

• anti-feminist
• pre-feminist
• trans exclusionary radical feminist