What does female mean?
'Female' is both an adjective and a noun referring to the sex of an organism that produces ova or bears young. As an adjective, it modifies nouns across biology, medicine, statistics, and engineering — one speaks of a female mammal, a female athlete, or a female connector on a cable. As a noun, it denotes any such organism, from insects to elephants, and can refer to women, though in everyday speech about people, 'woman' often sounds warmer and more natural, while 'female' can feel clinical. The word entered English from Old French, tracing back through Latin femella, a diminutive of femina meaning 'woman'. Its counterpart 'male' shares no actual ancestry with it despite their matching appearance. Useful and precise, 'female' remains indispensable wherever sex must be stated neutrally and unambiguously.
An organism of the sex that produces ova or bears offspring; also, a woman or girl.
"The females of the colony do most of the hunting."
Applied to people, the noun form can read as impersonal or bureaucratic; 'woman' or 'girl' is usually preferred in general prose.
Relating to or characteristic of the sex that produces ova or bears young; also, designed to fit into or receive a corresponding male part.
"The camera has a female thread that accepts a standard tripod screw."
Standard plural for non-human organisms in scientific and natural-history writing; for women, 'women' is generally preferred except in demographic or medical registers.
"Females of the species are larger than the males."
'Female' doesn't come from 'male' at all — it descends from Latin femella, a diminutive of femina ('woman'), and was only respelled in the 14th century to look like its supposed partner.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of female
'Female' came into Middle English in the late medieval period from Old French femelle, which descends from Latin femella, a diminutive of femina meaning 'woman'. In the fourteenth century its spelling was altered under the influence of 'male' (from Latin masculus), creating an apparent pairing between words that are in fact unrelated in origin. True cognates include 'feminine', 'effeminate', and 'feminism', all built on the same Latin root femina.
How female is actually used
As an adjective, 'female' is neutral and widely used in scientific, medical, and official contexts. When applied to humans, some style guides prefer 'woman' or 'women' where possible, reserving 'female' for biological or statistical uses; using 'female' alone as a noun for a woman can sound clinical or dismissive. It is fully standard for animals and organisms generally, where 'woman' cannot apply.
Easily confused with female
Despite looking like a matched pair, 'male' comes from a different Latin word (masculus), while 'female' derives from femella — they are etymological strangers that only resemble each other by later spelling association.