Meaning & use
feminisation
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Meanings
noununcountable
The process of becoming more female in character, or of making something more female in character.
Grammar: Uncountable: talk about 'the feminisation of something', never 'a feminisation'.
Patterns
- the feminisation of something
The feminisation of the teaching profession has been discussed for decades.
Some critics worry about the feminisation of boys' education.
noununcountabletechnicalbiologymedical
The process by which a male body develops female physical features, often because of hormones.
Grammar: Used in medical and biology writing; often followed by 'of' plus a body part or species.
Patterns
- feminisation of the body
- hormone-induced feminisation
The drug can cause feminisation in male patients.
Researchers studied the feminisation of fish exposed to the chemical.
noununcountablespecialist
The act of giving a word or name a female form, or the state of being female in grammar.
Grammar: A specialist linguistics use; usually appears with 'of'.
Patterns
- feminisation of a noun
The feminisation of job titles is common in some languages.
She wrote about the feminisation of surnames in the region.
Common combinations
- the feminisation of work
- The feminisation of work has changed office culture.
- the feminisation of poverty
- Economists debate the feminisation of poverty worldwide.
- hormonal feminisation
- Hormonal feminisation can be a side effect of treatment.
- oppose feminisation
- Some groups openly oppose the feminisation of the church.
- gradual feminisation
- The gradual feminisation of the industry took thirty years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- effeminization
- More often used of a man becoming womanly, and it can sound disapproving; 'feminisation' is the neutral, broader term.
- womanization
- Rare and usually humorous; it suggests making something womanly rather than the general process 'feminisation' describes.
Opposites
Word family
- feminise verb
- To make or become female in character (British spelling).
- feminize verb
- American spelling of the same verb.
- feminine adjective
- Having qualities traditionally linked with women.
- femininity noun
- The quality of being female or womanly.
- feminist noun
- A person who supports equal rights for women.
Commonly confused: feminisation or feminism? feminisation or effeminacy?
feminisation vs feminism
Feminism is the movement for women's rights; feminisation is the process of becoming more female, which is a different idea entirely.
feminisation vs effeminacy
Effeminacy describes a man's womanly manner and often carries disapproval; feminisation is a neutral process word.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'feminisation' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Feminisation' is an uncountable noun, so it fits 'the feminisation of the workforce'. Options 0, 2 and 3 use it as if it were a person or a verb, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “feminisation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.