Word
womanhood
Phoneticswom·an·hood, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwʊmənˌhʊd/
UK/wˈʊmənhˌʊd/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the state of being a woman. It can also describe the qualities or experiences that are traditionally associated with being a woman.
n. the state or condition of being a woman. Often used to describe the collective social, cultural, or psychological characteristics associated with the female sex.
Examples
“She spent her life exploring the meaning of womanhood.”
“The documentary explores how different cultures define womanhood and the expectations placed on women.”
“The transition into womanhood often involves a complex negotiation of personal identity and the external roles society assigns to the individual based on gender.”
Examples
simple
“She spent her life exploring the meaning of womanhood.”
contextual
“The documentary explores how different cultures define womanhood and the expectations placed on women.”
complex
“The transition into womanhood often involves a complex negotiation of personal identity and the external roles society assigns to the individual based on gender.”
Real-World Examples
“Reproductive autonomy affects millions of people whose lives fall well outside the narrow framework of heterosexual womanhood.” “Acclaimed for embodying opera’s femme fatales such as Carmen and Dalia, Aigul Akhmetshina explores womanhood more broadly on her second album, Mujer Fatal.” “But in those long struggles, the advance guard of these movements couldn’t simply declare a new meaning for womanhood or manhood.” Etymology
From Middle English womanhoode, wommanhod, whomanhode, variants of wommanhede. By surface analysis, woman + -hood.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/womanhood