What does feminisation mean?
Feminisation is the process of making something feminine or causing it to become associated with women and feminine characteristics. It has several related applications. It may describe a person developing physical or social feminine characteristics, the introduction or expansion of women within an occupation, or broader changes in which institutions, roles, and cultural ideas are perceived as becoming more associated with women. For example, commentators may describe the entry of women into senior management as the feminisation of finance, while historians might examine the feminisation of political institutions. The term is especially common in academic, social, political, and cultural commentary, and it can carry a neutral analytical meaning or participate in broader debates about gender, representation, and power. Feminisation should not necessarily be understood as a simple, uniform process: its causes, scale, and consequences can vary considerably according to the person, institution, or practice being examined.
nounThe process of making something feminine or causing it to become associated with women and feminine characteristics. The term may describe a deliberate change, a social or cultural trend, or the physical or social feminisation of a person, role, or institution.
- The process of making something feminine, or causing it to become associated with women and feminine characteristics.
- A social, cultural, or institutional change in which roles, occupations, or forms of representation are perceived as becoming increasingly associated with women.
- The physical or social development of feminine characteristics in a person.
"The growing participation of women in senior management has been described as the feminisation of the banking sector."
"The feminisation of the workforce has changed recruitment practices in many industries."
"The film was criticised for its feminisation of traditional heroic narratives."
Usually used as a mass noun; the plural is grammatical but uncommon and is most natural when contrasting distinct processes or settings.
"The report examines two distinct feminisations of public institutions."
One word can describe both the transformation of a person and the growing association of an entire profession with women.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feminisation
Feminisation is formed from the adjective “feminine” together with the suffix “-isation,” which creates a noun naming a process. “Feminine” derives ultimately from Latin “femina,” meaning “woman” or “female,” and the same root also connects the word with “femininity,” “feminism,” and “female.” The “-ise” spelling is characteristic of British usage, while the corresponding American form is generally written “feminization.”
Related word forms
How feminisation is actually used
The British spelling is “feminisation”; the American spelling is “feminization.” The word is most often used in academic, political, social, or cultural contexts. In social analysis it can describe a change in representation or the association of roles with women, without necessarily implying a direct causal relationship.
Easily confused with feminisation
Feminisation names a process or change, whereas femininity refers to the quality or state of being feminine.