different between womanhood vs femininity

English

Alternative forms

• womanhead (obsolete)
• womonhood, womynhood, wommonhood (feminist spellings; rare; see usage notes at woman)

Etymology

From Middle English womanhoode, wommanhod, whomanhode, variants of wommanhede; synchronically analyzable as woman +? -hood.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?m?nh?d/
• Hyphenation: wom?an?hood

Noun

womanhood (countable and uncountable, plural womanhoods)

1. The state or condition of being a woman.
2. All of the women of a given place, area, or subgroup regarded collectively.

   Synonym: womankind (universally: only synonymous when the meaning of womanhood is universal or worldwide)

   Antonyms: manhood, mankind
3. The idealized nature of a woman: all of the characteristics traditionally and ideally ascribed to womanliness regarded collectively.

   Synonyms: womanishness, womanliness

   Antonyms: manhood, mannishness, manliness
4. 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.

   Antonym: manhood

5. (euphemistic) The female genitalia, especially the vulva.

   Hypernym: (slang) junk

   Antonym: manhood

Coordinate terms

• manhood

Related terms

• girlhood
• boyhood
• childhood

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English femynynytee, femyninytee, equivalent to feminine +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?m??n?n?ti/
• Hyphenation: fem?i?nin?i?ty

Noun

femininity (usually uncountable, plural femininities)

1. The sum of all attributes that are feminine or convey womanhood.

   Synonyms: feminineness, womanlikeness

   Antonyms: manlikeness, masculinity

Related terms

Translations

References