What does "woman" mean?
An adult female human.
Woman
/ˈwʊm.ən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An adult female human.
- Grammar: woman is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adult female, female, lady, adult.
- Useful contrasts: epicene, carl, chap.
- Usage evidence: Why would you marry a woman if you like men?
How to use "woman"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "woman" 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 "woman" 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 "woman" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "woman" 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 "woman" is acting as noun, verb 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 "adult female" 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 "woman", 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 An adult female human.
"But this woman is a nice German woman that fell on the ice and sprained her ankle last winter, and we saw to her well as we could till she got better."
- 2 women as a class wordnet
- 3 All female humans collectively; womankind. collective
"Listen, Holly. Thou art a good and honest man, and I fain would spare thee; but, oh! it is so hard for woman to be merciful."
- 4 an adult female person (as opposed to a man) wordnet
- 5 A female person, usually an adult: a (generally adult) female sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc.
"Sir, have you ever served with any Bajoran women?"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man wordnet
- 7 A wife (or sometimes a fiancée or girlfriend).
"And then, when he lies with his woman, the man may concurrently be with God, and so get increase of his soul."
- 8 a woman who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force wordnet
- 9 A female person who is extremely fond of or devoted to a specified type of thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.)
"Perhaps my problem is that I am a cat woman. I can't imagine any finicky feline (and they all are that at one time or another) slobbering over anyone, even a beloved owner, the way a dog does."
- 10 A female attendant or servant.
"By her woman I sent your message."
Verb
- 1 To staff with female labor.
"[…]he should prove, from the testimony of the most experienced seamen, that the vessel was, if not, strictly speaking, sufficiently manned, yet that she was sufficiently manned and womanned. The Gypsey was a vessel of 43 tons burden, and there were on board two able seamen and the Captain’s wife, who was a very good sailor;"
- 2 To make effeminate or womanish. transitive
"I have felt so many quirks of joy and grief / That the first face of neither on the start / Can woman me unto't."
- 3 To furnish with, or unite to, a woman. transitive
"And think it no addition, nor my wish, / To have him see me woman'd."
- 4 To call (a person) "woman" in a disrespectful fashion. transitive
Example
"Why would you marry a woman if you like men?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "woman"?
Common synonyms include: adult female, female, lady, adult, babe, baggage.
How do you use "woman" in a sentence?
Why would you marry a woman if you like men?
How do you pronounce "woman"?
Pronounced /ˈwʊm.ən/.
Etymology
From Middle English womman, from earlier wimman, wifman, from Old English wīfmann (“woman”, literally “female person”), a compound of wīf (“woman, female”, whence English wife) + mann (“person, human being”, whence English man). For details on the pronunciation and spelling history, see the usage notes below. Cognate with Scots woman, weman (“woman”), Saterland Frisian Wieuwmoanske (“female person, female human, woman”). Similar constructions can be found in West Frisian frommes (“woman, girl”) (from frou and minske, literally "woman human"). Further information on vocalic development The current pronunciation of the first vowel of the singular began to appear in western England in the 13th century under the rounding influence of the w, though the older pronunciation with /i/ (→ modern /ɪ/) remained in use into the 15th century. Although the vowel of the plural was sometimes also altered to /u/ (→ modern /ʊ/) beginning in the 14th century, the pronunciation with /ɪ/ ultimately won out there, possibly under the influence of pairs like foot–feet. However, some speakers (especially of New Zealand English or South African English) have either retained or reinnovated the pronunciation of the plural with /ʊ/. The modern spelling women for the plural is due to influence of the singular; it is attested from the 15th century. For a time in the 16th and 17th centuries, the pronunciation of the singular sometimes drifted even further back towards /uː/ or /ɔː~oː/ (→ modern /oʊ~əʊ/) and the plural sometimes drifted even further forward towards /iː/, leading to comparisons of the words to "woe man" or "we men".)