What does "womanhood" mean?
The state or condition of being a woman, as contrasted with being a girl, man, boy, or nonbinary.
Womanhood
/ˈwʊmənhʊd/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state or condition of being a woman, as contrasted with being a girl, man, boy, or nonbinary.
- Grammar: womanhood is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: adulthood, adulthood, adultness, age of consent.
- Useful contrasts: juvenility, male identity, male role.
- Usage evidence: She is now in the prime of womanhood.
How to use "womanhood"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "womanhood" 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 "womanhood" 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 "womanhood" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "womanhood" 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 "womanhood" is acting as 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 "adulthood" 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 "womanhood", 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 The state or condition of being a woman, as contrasted with being a girl, man, boy, or nonbinary. countable, uncountable
"She was a vigorous youth poised on the brink of womanhood."
- 2 the status of a woman wordnet
- 3 All of the women of a given place, area, or subgroup regarded collectively. countable, uncountable
"There was only one thing to be done: call out, start the alarm, set the heather on fire! Awaken the womanhood of America to free the motherhood of the world!"
- 4 women as a class wordnet
- 5 The idealized nature of a woman: all of the characteristics traditionally and ideally ascribed to womanliness regarded collectively. countable, uncountable
"She had cast off the terror of the leaping flame, the cold power of judgment that was even now being done, and the wise sadness of the tombs - cast them off and put them behind her, like the white shroud she wore, and now stood out the incarnation of lovely tempting womanhood, made more perfect - and in a way more spiritual - than ever woman was before."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 the state of being an adult woman wordnet
- 7 The self-concept of a woman with respect to her possession of the various qualities traditionally and ideally ascribed to womanliness; a woman's sense or view of herself as being more or less womanly. countable, uncountable
- 8 The female genitalia, especially the vulva. countable, euphemistic, uncountable
"Easing down to her panties slowly as if investigating a carrier of a dangerous plague, both hands were quivering like it was contagious while feeling extraordinarily alarmed, he commenced to inspect her womanhood."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She is now in the prime of womanhood."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "womanhood"?
Common synonyms include: adulthood, adulthood, adultness, age of consent, distaff side, driving age.
How do you use "womanhood" in a sentence?
She is now in the prime of womanhood.
How do you pronounce "womanhood"?
Pronounced /ˈwʊmənhʊd/.
Etymology
From Middle English womanhoode, wommanhod, whomanhode, variants of wommanhede. By surface analysis, woman + -hood.