female
adjective
fe·male
| \ ËfÄ-ËmÄl
\
\
Definition of female
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a(1)
: of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to bear young or produce eggs
In a field of milkweed, I watched a female monarch butterfly deposit a single egg on the underside of a leaf.— Tom Tyning A few months later, she became the highest paid female performer on the Great White Way.— Susannah McCorkle
(2)
: having or producing only pistils or pistillate flowers
a female holly female inflorescences
b
: made up of usually adult members of the female sex : consisting of females
the female workforce
c
: characteristic of girls, women, or the female sex : exhibiting femaleness
composed for female voices a female name
d
: designed for or typically used by girls or women
a female glove
e
: engaged in or exercised by girls or women
female suffrage
2
: having some quality (such as small size or delicacy of sound) associated with the female sex
female castanets
3
: designed with a hollow or groove into which a corresponding male part fits
the female coupling of a hose
female
nounDefinition of female (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: a female person : a woman or a girl
b
: an individual of the sex that is typically capable of bearing young or producing eggs
2
: a pistillate plant
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Synonyms & Antonyms for female
Synonyms: Adjective
feminine, womanish, womanlike, womanly
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of female in a Sentence
Adjective
Most extension cords have a male plug on one end and a female plug on the other. female standards of housekeeping imposed by the women at the vacation cottage weren't especially popular with the menNoun
She attended a school where there were more males than females. Females of this species weigh 8 to 10 pounds.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
In an era where only 10 percent of all touring comedians are female, Kirson stands out as one of the strongest comedians regardless of gender. — Staff Report, Houston Chronicle, "The J announces brand new comedy program," 30 Aug. 2019 The dogs are all female and range in age from one to 10 years old. — Maria Lovato, BostonGlobe.com, "Seven collies up for adoption in Mass. after rescue of 100 animals in Maine last month," 28 Aug. 2019 Closing the gender gap In Basmayorâs apprenticeship program, just four of the 50 apprentices in her class are female â and even that meager number is a sign of progress. — Loweâs, USA TODAY, "Building the next generation of skilled trades workers starts with women," 27 Aug. 2019 Ninety-three percent of the patients were female, 3% male, and 4% identified as trans/nonbinary. — Charlie Brennan, The Denver Post, "Nearly half of Boulder Valley Womenâs Health Center staff leaves, citing leadership," 27 Aug. 2019 As more girls are participating in traditionally male activities, like sports, more boys are doing leisure activities that were stereotypically female. — Alexandra Ossola, Quartz, "Lara Spencerâs comments on Prince Georgeâs ballet lessons are from a different era," 26 Aug. 2019 Stunning In 2017, however, experts published the results of a DNA analysis that revealed the skeleton was female. — Fox News, "Mysterious medieval skeleton at Prague Castle reveals its secrets," 23 Aug. 2019 The startupâs head of data and its co-CEO are also female. — Jennifer Alsever, Fortune, "A Rare Tech Company Where Women Dominate," 21 Aug. 2019 One plaster figure long believed to be a man was revealed to be female. — Chiara Goia, Smithsonian, "The New Treasures of Pompeii," 21 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
This was shocking considering the maintenance rapper a female usually requires. — Nandi Howard, Essence, "Here's What It's Like To Get Ready With Rico Nasty," 28 Aug. 2019 Before a person steps into the full body scanner at an airport, a TSA officer must register the personâs gender, pressing a pink button for a female or a blue button for a male. — ProPublica, "When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side," 26 Aug. 2019 The driver of the Jeep, a 17-year-old female from Melrose Park, was charged with driving without a license and without insurance and will be in Maybrook Court for a hearing on Sept. 3, police said. — Deborah Kadin, chicagotribune.com, "Franklin Park, Northlake police: Driver left car running at gas station, woman hopped in, drove it away," 26 Aug. 2019 Chen is described by authorities as an 53-year-old Asian female who is 4-foot-11 and 88 pounds. — Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, "Discovery Bay woman vanished after going outside to water plants, authorities say," 21 Aug. 2019 Police say the three suspects, who are all employed as firefighters with the Tijuana fire department, fled the scene of the shooting in two vehicles with a third victim, a female who was reportedly taken against her will by the group. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Chula Vista mom among two fatally shot in Playas de Tijuana," 21 Aug. 2019 In comparison, a Serengeti female can live up to 19 years. — Christine Dell'amore, National Geographic, "This is the only place on Earth where lions live alone," 9 Aug. 2019 The shooting victims â a 17-year-old female, three 18-year-old males and two 19-year-old males â are expected to recover from their injuries, Houston police spokesman Victor Senties said Sunday. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "At least 6 teens are shot at a Houston âinstant house partyâ organized on Snapchat," 19 Aug. 2019 The missing teen is described as a white female who stands 5 feet 1 inches tall, weighs 97 pounds, has blonde hair and blue eyes. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "Statewide Amber Alert declared for missing Indiana teen," 18 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'female.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for female
female
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of female
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to the sex that can produce young or lay eggs
: characteristic of girls or women
: having members who