Feminism
/ˈfɛm.ɪ.nɪ.zəm/noun
Belief in and advocacy for social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
Did you know?Feminism comes through French from Latin *femina* (“woman”), and the word itself is modern, first appearing in the 19th century as debates over women’s rights intensified.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to suckle, nurse”
Latin
Latin
femina
“woman, female”
Late Latin
Latin
femininus
“female, womanly”
19th Century
French
féminisme
“the advocacy of women’s rights and interests”
19th Century
English
feminism
“the doctrine or advocacy of women’s rights and equality”
Modern English
English
feminism
“belief in and advocacy for equality of the sexes”