Meaning & use
frontwoman
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Meaning
nouncountable
The main female singer of a music group, who usually performs at the front of the stage.
Grammar: Countable: a frontwoman, the frontwoman, two frontwomen.
Patterns
- the frontwoman of a band
- a band's frontwoman
She became the frontwoman of the rock band after the original singer left.
The frontwoman thanked the crowd and introduced the next song.
As a frontwoman, she has to engage the audience and sing most of the lead parts.
Word forms
| plural | frontwomen |
|---|
Common combinations
- lead frontwoman
- The lead frontwoman also writes most of the songs.
- frontwoman for a band
- She was the frontwoman for a popular indie band.
- charismatic frontwoman
- A charismatic frontwoman can make a concert unforgettable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lead singer
- This is a more general term that can be used for any gender and does not necessarily imply being at the front of the stage.
- vocalist
- A vocalist is anyone who sings, often in a band, but it doesn't specify being the main performer.
Word family
- frontman noun
- The male equivalent, meaning the main male singer of a band.
- frontperson noun
- A gender-neutral term for the main singer of a band.
Commonly confused: frontwoman or frontman?
frontwoman vs frontman
Use 'frontman' for a male lead singer; 'frontwoman' is specifically female.
Practice
The band's new ______ is a talented singer who also plays guitar.
Choose one answer.
The sentence refers to one female singer, so 'frontwoman' is correct. 'Frontman' would imply a male singer, and the plural forms don't fit with 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “frontwoman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.