What does woman mean?
Woman is the ordinary English noun for an adult female human being. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, as a counterpart to man, but its social meaning can vary: it may simply identify gender, carry connotations of adulthood and maturity, or appear in expressions about power, work, family, or social position. Unlike girl, which normally describes a younger female, woman is normally reserved for an adult, although some uses can be less age-specific. In formal writing, woman is often replaced by female when a classificatory term is wanted, while lady may sound more deferential or traditional. The word is highly versatile: it can be a plain subject or object, appear before another noun as an attributive modifier, and form plurals and compounds such as women’s rights. Its history is also noteworthy. The modern word descends from Old English forms such as wimman and wifman, generally understood as compounds built from wif, “wife,” and man, “person” or “human being.” Woman is therefore both a central everyday word and a useful example of how English vocabulary records family relationships, social history, and shifts in meaning.
nounAn adult female human being. The word is the standard English noun for a female person, especially one who has reached adulthood.
- An adult female human being.
"She was the first woman elected to represent the district."
"The woman returned home shortly before midnight."
"Women have played a major role in the development of modern science."
Woman has the irregular plural women, formed by changing the internal vowel and adding -en; womans is not standard in modern English.
"Several women from the neighborhood attended the meeting."
The word woman began as an Old English compound meaning roughly 'wife-person,' a reminder that language once built gender terms by adding 'person' to family words.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does woman come from?
The modern form descends from Old English wimman, also written wifman. These forms are generally analyzed as compounds of wif, meaning “wife,” and man, meaning “person” or “human being.” The compound’s historical sense developed into the modern gender noun, while related forms such as wife preserve evidence of the Old English vocabulary from which it developed.
Related word forms
How woman is actually used
Woman is the ordinary, neutral noun for an adult female human and is the standard counterpart of man. It generally denotes an adult rather than a child, although context can broaden its use. Lady may sound more formal, deferential, or traditional, while girl usually refers to a younger female; female is often preferred in formal classification.
Easily confused with woman
Woman is the singular form, while women is the standard plural form.