Words / B1

FEEM-ayl/ˈfiːmeɪl/

Female relates to women or girls, or to animals that can produce young: a female colleague; female students; the female of the species. Woman is the usual noun for an adult; female as a noun can sound cold or biological, so prefer woman / girl for people in everyday writing. Male is the pair. Feminine describes cultural or grammatical style, not simply “woman.”

Meaning

Relating to women or girls, or to animals that can produce young.

Examples

• “The company has several female managers.”
• “The survey compared male and female applicants.”
• “Only the female birds have that colouring.”

Good to know

female + noun (students / employees). Everyday person noun: woman / girl. Pair: male. Style / grammar: feminine.

New