...a sixteen-piece dance band with a female singer.
Their aim is to have equal numbers of male and female MPs.
Only 13 per cent of consultants are female.
Synonyms: womanlike, woman, lady More Synonyms of female
femalenessuncountable noun
They are under pressure to negate their femaleness.
2. countable noun
Women and girls are sometimes referred to as females when they are being considered as a type.
Hay fever affects males more than females.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Female matters and things relate to, belong to, or affect women rather than men.
...female infertility.
...a purveyor of female undergarments.
I realize there's no consensus on what are male or female values.
4. countable noun
You can refer to any creature that can lay eggs or produce babies from its body as a female.
Each female will lay just one egg in April or May.
Female is also an adjective.
...the scent given off by the female aphid to attract the male.
5. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A female flower or plant contains the part that will become the fruit when it is fertilized.
Figs have male and female flowers.
More Synonyms of female
female in British English
(ˈfiːmeɪl)
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or designating the sex producing gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)
2.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a women or female animals
female colleagues
3.
for or composed of women or girls
female suffrage
a female choir
4.
(of reproductive organs such as the ovary and carpel) capable of producing female gametes
5.
(of gametes such as the ovum) capable of being fertilized by a male gamete in sexual reproduction
6.
(of flowers) lacking, or having nonfunctional, stamens
7.
having an internal cavity into which a projecting male counterpart can be fitted
a female thread
noun
8.
a.
a female animal or plant
b. sometimes derogatory
a woman or girl
Derived forms
femaleness (ˈfemaleness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from earlier femelle (influenced by male), from Latin fēmella a young woman, from fēmina a woman
female in American English
(ˈfiˌmeɪl)
adjective
1.
designating or of the sex that produces ova and bears offspring
biological symbol, ♀ see also male
2.
of, characteristic of, or suitable to members of this sex; feminine
3.
consisting of women or girls
4.
designating or having a hollow part shaped to receive a corresponding inserted part (called male)
said of pipe fittings, electric sockets, etc.
5. Botany
a.
having pistils, archegonia, or oogonia and no stamens or antheridia
b.
designating or of a reproductive structure or part containing large gametes (eggs) that can be fertilized by smaller, motile gametes (sperms)
c.
designating or of any structure or part that produces fruit after it is fertilized
noun
6.
a female person; woman or girl
7.
a female animal or plant
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈwoman
SYNONYMY NOTE: female is the basic term applied to members of the sex that is biologically distinguishedfrom the male sex and is used of animals or plants as well as of human beings; , feminine is now the preferred term for references, other than those basically biological,to qualities thought to be characteristic of or suitable to women, as delicacy, gentleness,etc.; , womanly suggests the noble qualities one associates with a woman, esp. one who has maturityof character; , womanish, in contrast, suggests the weaknesses and faults that are regarded as characteristicof women; , effeminate, used chiefly in reference to a man, implies delicacy, softness, or lack of virility;, ladylike refers to manners, conduct, etc. such as are expected from a refined or well-bredwoman
OPPOSITES: male, masculine, manly, mannish
Derived forms
femaleness (ˈfemaleness)
noun
Word origin
ME, altered after male < femelle < OFr < L femella, dim. of femina, a woman < IE base *dhē-, to suck, suckle > L felare, to suck, filius, son, fetus, progeny, Gr thēlazein, to suckle, thele, nipple
Examples of 'female' in a sentence
female
How have you found coming into this industry as a female singer?
The Sun (2017)
The four female leads are also a skilled joy.
The Sun (2016)
There are so many female role models now.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Female would also have been hot under the collar.
The Sun (2017)
The two men and a woman targeted females in their early 20s.
The Sun (2016)
Men still tend to get more than their female counterparts, which is hard to justify.
The Sun (2016)
Male founders awarded themselves salaries that were'100 per cent higher' than female counterparts.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But 17 per cent of the males and 26 per cent of the females are left to suffer.
The Sun (2016)
A former male officer claimed that his female counterparts often'had a tougher time of it' than men.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They are not making clothes for the female body.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The singer seemed blissfully unaware as he performed with the two female singers in his band.
The Sun (2009)
Perhaps you are a woman wanting a female driver for safety reasons?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Ukraine also has a female as its representative.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Only the effect of this fashion smorgasbord is to further panic the average female shopper.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Why should they have to cede this income to female counterparts?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Surely other female stars must now feel the pressure to do the same?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She really is my very favourite female singer.
The Sun (2010)
Does this woman have any female friends?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
And it is not just the female ministers and their shadows who talk about these issues.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There is also a female computer voice reading out distances to the next turn.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It's not a great time to be a female country singer.
Christianity Today (2000)
It was thought to be extinct in Dorset before the lone female was found.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But 31 per cent of females pack for themselves and their partners.
The Sun (2008)
Probably not, as the person concerned is female.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
A quarter of the country 's female officers were named.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
At just 34, she is a lone female oligarch in an alpha male world.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She is confident that her goal of 30 per cent female representation on boards by 2015 can be reached.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Quotations
The female of the species is more deadly than the maleRudyard KiplingThe Female of the Species
In other languages
female
British English: female /ˈfiːmeɪl/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is female is a woman or a girl.
...a female singer.
American English: female
Arabic: مُؤَنَّث
Brazilian Portuguese: feminino
Chinese: 女性的
Croatian: ženski
Czech: ženský
Danish: kvindelig
Dutch: vrouwelijk
European Spanish: femenino
Finnish: naispuolinen
French: féminin
German: weiblich
Greek: θηλυκός
Italian: femminile
Japanese: 女性の
Korean: 여성의
Norwegian: kvinnelig
Polish: żeński
European Portuguese: feminino
Romanian: de sex feminin
Russian: женский
Latin American Spanish: femenino
Swedish: kvinnlig
Thai: เกี่ยวกับสตรี
Turkish: kadın
Ukrainian: жіночий
Vietnamese: nữ
British English: female /ˈfiːmeɪl/ NOUN
Women and girls are sometimes referred to as females when they are being considered as a type.
Hay fever affects males more than females.
American English: female
Arabic: مُؤَنَّث
Brazilian Portuguese: fêmea
Chinese: 女性
Croatian: ženka
Czech: žena
Danish: kvinde
Dutch: vrouw
European Spanish: hembra
Finnish: nainen
French: féminin
German: Frau
Greek: γυναίκα
Italian: femmina
Japanese: 女性
Korean: 여성
Norwegian: kvinne
Polish: kobieta
European Portuguese: fêmea
Romanian: femeie
Russian: особь женского пола
Latin American Spanish: hembra
Swedish: kvinna
Thai: เพศหญิง
Turkish: kadın
Ukrainian: жінка
Vietnamese: phụ nữ
All related terms of 'female'
female artist
An artist is a performer such as a musician , actor, or dancer.
female condom
a type of condom used by women and inserted into the vagina
female thread
a helical groove in a cylindrical hole formed by a tap or lathe tool
female soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
female suffrage
the right of women to vote
female character
The characters in a film, book, or play are the people that it is about.
female friendship
A friendship is a relationship between two or more friends .
female circumcision
the practice observed in some cultures of removing part or all of a woman's or girl's genitalia
female impersonator
a male theatrical performer who acts as a woman
condom
A condom is a covering made of thin rubber which a man can wear on his penis as a contraceptive or as protection against disease during sexual intercourse.
feminine rhyme
a rhyme between words in which one, two, or more unstressed syllables follow a stressed one, as in elation , nation or merrily, verily
screw
A screw is a metal object similar to a nail , with a raised spiral line around it. You turn a screw using a screwdriver so that it goes through two things, for example two pieces of wood , and fastens them together.
female genital mutilation
the practice observed in some cultures of removing part or all of a woman's or girl's genitalia
FGM
FGM is the practice of cutting off some or all of the outer sex organs of a girl or woman . It is illegal in many countries . FGM is an abbreviation for 'female genital mutilation'.
Chinese translation of 'female'
female
(ˈfiːmeɪl)
n(c)
(Zool) 雌兽(獸) (císhòu) (头, tóu)
(= woman) 女性 (nǚxìng) (位, wèi)
adj
(Zool) 雌性的 (cíxìng de)
[sex, character, child]女性的 (nǚxìng de)
(relating to women) 妇(婦)女的 (fùnǚ de)
male and female students男女学(學)生 (nánnǚ xuéshēng)
F 1
or f
(ɛf)
n(c/u)
(= letter) 英语的第六个字母
abbr
(= female) 女性 (nǚxìng)
(noun)
Definition
a female person, animal, or plant
A slightly higher proportion of young females go to university than young males.
Synonyms
woman
I asked the woman at the desk for an application form.
girl
lady
She's a very sweet old lady.
lass
She's a Lancashire lass from Longton, near Preston.
sheila (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
charlie (Australian, old-fashioned, slang)
chook (Australian, slang, sometimes offensive)
wahine (New Zealand)
(adjective)
Definition
of or characteristic of a woman
Their aim is equal numbers of male and female MPs.
Synonyms
womanlike
woman
lady
Quotation
The female of the species is more deadly than the male [Rudyard Kipling – The Female of the Species]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of lady
Definition
a polite name for a woman
She's a very sweet old lady.
Synonyms
woman,
female,
girl,
miss (old-fashioned, derogatory),
maiden (archaic),
maid (archaic),
lass,
damsel (archaic, poetic),
lassie (informal),
charlie (Australian, old-fashioned, slang),
chook (Australian, slang, derogatory),
wahine (New Zealand)
in the sense of lass
Definition
a girl or young woman
She's a Lancashire lass from Longton, near Preston.