What does suffragette mean?
A suffragette was a woman who actively campaigned for women’s right to vote, particularly during the early 20th-century movements in Britain and elsewhere. The word is closely associated with organized and sometimes militant action, including demonstrations, civil disobedience, and direct campaigns against governments that denied women political rights. It differs from suffragist, which can refer more broadly to anyone who supported women’s voting rights and was used for both women and men. Today, suffragette is principally historical, but it remains culturally significant as a description of the activists who helped secure equal voting rights. The term is also sometimes used metaphorically to describe a determined woman advocating for women’s equality or political participation.
nounA woman who advocated voting rights for women, especially as a member of a militant or organized suffrage movement in the early 20th century.
- A woman who advocated women’s right to vote, especially in Britain during the early 20th-century suffrage campaigns.
"The museum preserves the story of a suffragette who campaigned for women’s right to vote."
"A suffragette addressed a crowd outside Parliament during the campaign for women’s voting rights."
"The exhibition tells the stories of the women who became suffragettes in their communities."
The usual plural is suffragettes; the historical collective term suffragettes is also commonly used.
"Suffragettes marched through London to demand the right to vote."
Suffragettes were the pioneering women who fought for the vote—and helped make women’s suffrage part of everyday political language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of suffragette
The word was formed in the early 20th century from suffrage, meaning the right to vote, with the French-derived suffix -ette. It was used to distinguish women active in the suffrage campaign, especially in Britain, from the broader term suffragist. Both words ultimately relate to Latin suffragium, a token or vote, and to the English tradition of using suffrage to mean the right to vote.
Related word forms
How suffragette is actually used
The term is chiefly historical and is especially associated with the British women’s suffrage movement. It generally emphasizes active or militant campaigning, whereas suffragist can refer more broadly to anyone who supported women’s voting rights. In modern usage, it may also be used figuratively for a determined campaigner for women’s rights.
Easily confused with suffragette
A suffragist supported women’s right to vote, whereas a suffragette specifically denotes a woman who took part in the campaign, often through militant or more visibly active organizations.