Added 8 October 2026
female
/ˈfiː.meɪl/ adjective
In Latin: fēmineus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about female at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
female authors, the leading male and female artists, a female bird cooing at a male
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Characteristic of this sex/gender.
stereotypically female pastimes, an insect with typically female coloration
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Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
the female chromosome
noun
Origin
From Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele, from Old French femele, femelle (“female”), from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”), from Latin fēmella (“a girl, a young female, a young woman”), diminutive of fēmina (“a woman”). The English spelling and pronunciation were remodelled under the influence of male, which is otherwise not etymologically related. Contrast woman, which is etymologically built on man (as in, “person”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)