feminism
n. uncountablen. the belief that women should have the same rights, power, and opportunities as men. It is also the organized effort to reach this goal in society.
n. the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. It encompasses both a theoretical framework for analyzing social inequality and a political movement aimed at achieving gender equity.
She joined the local group to learn more about modern feminism.
The history of feminism is often divided into waves, each focusing on different legal and social reforms.
While early feminism focused primarily on suffrage and property rights, contemporary discourse often examines how gender intersects with race, class, and other social identities.
From French féminisme circa 1837, ultimately from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina (“woman”). First recorded in English in 1851, originally meaning "the state of being feminine." Sense of "advocacy of women's rights" is from 1895.
Typically used without an article when referring to the movement or ideology in general.