What does "femme" mean?
A woman, a wife; (now chiefly Canada, US) a young woman or girl.
Femme
/fɛm/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A woman, a wife; (now chiefly Canada, US) a young woman or girl.
- Grammar: femme is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bisexual, butch, chicken, dame.
- Useful contrasts: butch, butches.
- Usage evidence: Fadil couldn't take his eyes off the teenage femme fatale.
How to use "femme"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "femme" 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 "femme" 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 "femme" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "femme" 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 "femme" 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 "bisexual" 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 "femme", 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 A woman, a wife; (now chiefly Canada, US) a young woman or girl.
"Then I turned to him and said, "O my lord, I have that to propose to thee wherein thou must not cross me; and this it is that, when we reach Baghdad, my native city, I offer thee my life as thy handmaiden in holy matrimony, and thou shalt be to me baron and I will be femme to thee.""
- 2 A lesbian or other queer woman whose appearance, identity etc. is seen as feminine as opposed to butch.
"Some of the most political dykes in town had already converted, tossing out their Levi's and Birkenstocks in favor of poodle skirts and heels. It was no longer a question of butch vs. femme, liberations vs. oppression. Clothes did not unmake the woman; clothes were just clothes."
- 3 A person whose gender is feminine-leaning, such as a feminine non-binary person. uncommon
"The same is true of Goddess Spirituality spaces which are predicated on Radical Feminist rhetorics about Nature and the embodied experience – even those spaces which are open to trans women and nonbinary femmes may still fall back on language about the womb …"
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to a femme; feminine, female. Canada, US
"Admittedly, Kiedis was concerned about the lack of femme rockers on the bill: the only women featured were in British band Lush, who would open each day's festivities before a few hundred curious onlookers."
- 2 Effeminate (of a man). derogatory
- 3 Characteristic of a feminine lesbian or queer woman.
"Her style was more femme than butch."
Example
"Fadil couldn't take his eyes off the teenage femme fatale."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "femme"?
Common synonyms include: bisexual, butch, chicken, dame, donna, dowager.
How do you use "femme" in a sentence?
Fadil couldn't take his eyes off the teenage femme fatale.
How do you pronounce "femme"?
Pronounced /fɛm/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French femme (“woman”). Doublet of feme, femina, and hembra.