Female is used as an adjectivea word that describes a noun or pronoun and a nouna word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. It can describe a woman or girl, a female animal or plant, or the sex that produces eggs or ovaegg cells produced by females of animals or plants.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈfiːmeɪl/
Easy pronunciation: FEE-male (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Used here as an adjective meaning of or relating to women or girls.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Female Meaning
describing women or girls
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: of or relating to women or girls
Example: The film has a strong female lead.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- distaff — Used mainly in formal or older language for things connected with women.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Female
Meaning 2
a woman or girl
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies
Example: The survey asked respondents whether they were male or female.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- female person — A direct dictionary synonym, but awkward in normal everyday use.
Meaning 3
a female animal
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an animal that produces eggs or ova that can be fertilized
Example: Only the female lays eggs and cares for the young in this species.
Meaning 4
having the female sex
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: of the sex that produces eggs or ova
Example: Female flowers produce seeds after pollination.
Meaning 5
connected with women or girls
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: for or relating to women or girls
Example: The conference focused on female health and education.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Female Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- distaff
noun: a person of the female sex
- female person
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using female as a noun to refer to a woman in everyday conversation can sound impersonal or rude in some contexts.
- Female and feminine are not the same: feminine usually means having qualities traditionally associated with women, not simply being biologically female.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the simple meaning of female?
Female usually means a woman or girl, or more broadly the sex that produces eggs or ova.
What part of speech is female?
Female can be an adjective or a noun.
What is a synonym for female?
For the adjective sense, distaff is a possible synonym in formal or older usage. For the noun sense, female person is a dictionary synonym but it is not a natural everyday substitute.
Is female the same as feminine?
No. Female refers to sex or gender classification, while feminine usually describes qualities or appearance associated with women.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
