Word: Female

Pronunciation

/ˈfiːmeɪl/

Definitions

• Noun: An adult human being who is biologically female, typically having the reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics of a woman. Example: “The class consisted of 20 males and 15 females.”
• Adjective: Relating to or denoting the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs, especially in animals and plants. Example: “Female mammals have mammary glands that produce milk for their young.”
• In some contexts, it can also refer to the gender identity of a person who identifies as a woman.
  • Example: “She is a proud transgender female and activist for LGBTQ+ rights.”

Phrases

• “Opposite sex”: Refers to the fact that female is the opposite sex to male.
• “Female lead/male lead”: In entertainment, this phrase denotes the main character who is female/male.
• “Female counterpart”: The corresponding female member of a pair or group, often used in comparison with a male equivalent.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The zookeepers were able to identify the new-born giraffe as a female by its anatomy.”
• Adjective: “The plant has both male and female flowers on the same tree for pollination.”
• “In many species, the female is larger than the male.”

Synonyms

• Woman (in human context)
• Female gender
• Feminine (in reference to qualities or attributes)
• Distaff (archaic or literary)