What does "female" mean?
One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.; An animal of the sex that produces eggs.
Female
/ˈfiː.meɪl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.; An animal of the sex that produces eggs.
- Grammar: female is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: female person, biological female, distaff, distaff.
- Useful contrasts: androgynous, carl, dude.
- Usage evidence: One problem is how the enterprises arrange posts for excellent female students, but another important point is whether the educational industry can grow and supply creative students needed for Japan's future.
How to use "female"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "female" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "female" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "female" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "female" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "female" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "female person" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "female", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.; An animal of the sex that produces eggs.
"Accumulated data indicate that in all species of sharks, the females grow larger than the males."
- 2 an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa) wordnet
- 3 One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.; A human of feminine gender; a girl or woman. proscribed, sometimes
"It would be years sometimes ere he saw the face of a female, and when he did, that face would not be overangelic."
- 4 a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies wordnet
- 5 One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.; A plant which produces only that kind of reproductive organ capable of developing into fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate plant.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A bacterium which lacks the F factor, and is able to receive DNA from another bacterium which has that factor.
"During mating, F+ male bacteria transfer the F factor to the recipient females, transforming them into F+ males."
- 7 A female connector, pipe fitting, etc.
"These are the most common type, as they join females of the same diameter together. […] For example, you may need an adapter such as a 3-in. pipe thread (a common thread used to join pipes) female to 2 1⁄2 NH male."
Adjective
- 1 Belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it. not-comparable, usually
"female authors, the leading male and female artists, a female bird cooing at a male"
- 2 Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare feminine, womanly.) not-comparable, usually
"stereotypically female pastimes, an insect with typically female coloration"
- 3 Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex. not-comparable, usually
"the female chromosome"
- 4 Feminine; of the feminine grammatical gender. feminine, form-of, not-comparable, usually
"The teacher's voice inflects the pulse of nêhiyawêwin as he teaches us. He says a prayer in the first class. Nouns, we learn, have a gender. In French, nouns are male or female, but in Cree, nouns are living or non-living, animate or inanimate."
- 5 Lacking the F factor, and able to receive DNA from another bacterium which does have this factor (a male). not-comparable, usually
"In this process, one bacterium designated the male bacterium transfers its DNA into the female bacterium. Bacteria are determined to be male or female by a small piece of DNA, called F-plasmid, or sex factor. Bacteria with this small piece of DNA are labeled as males, and bacteria that do not have this factor are considered females."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Having an internal socket, as in a connector or pipe fitting. figuratively, not-comparable, usually
"A ground-joint union is made in three separate pieces and is used for joining two pipes. It consists of two machined pieces with female pipe threads, which are screwed on the pipes to be united, and a threaded collar which holds the two pieces of the union together."
Adjective
- 1 being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop wordnet
- 2 for or pertaining to or composed of women or girls wordnet
- 3 characteristic of or peculiar to a woman wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"One problem is how the enterprises arrange posts for excellent female students, but another important point is whether the educational industry can grow and supply creative students needed for Japan's future."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "female"?
Common synonyms include: female person, biological female, distaff, distaff, donn, donna.
How do you use "female" in a sentence?
One problem is how the enterprises arrange posts for excellent female students, but another important point is whether the educational industry can grow and supply creative students needed for Japan's future.
How do you pronounce "female"?
Pronounced /ˈfiː.meɪl/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *fēmanā Latin fēmina Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin fēmella Old French femelebor. Middle English femele Middle English female English female 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”).