womanhood

noun

wom·​an·​hood ˈwu̇-mən-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce womanhood (audio)
especially Southern ˈwō-
or ˈwə-
Synonyms of womanhoodnext
1
a
: the state of being a woman
b
: the distinguishing character or qualities of a woman or of womankind
2
: women, womankind

Synonyms of womanhood

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of womanhood in a Sentence

a young girl on the verge of womanhood What is your view of womanhood? The book is a celebration of womanhood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each collection tells a story of womanhood, including Quick Change for Spring/Summer 2026, where the designer used magic tricks to create a series of transformable looks, responding to a busy woman’s need for multiple outfits in a day. — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 These uniquely American and universally known cultural icons, who recently died within days of each other, represented quite divergent versions of modern womanhood. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 Throughout, Kasischke’s images ricochet off one another—suggesting narrative while resisting its confines, evoking stereotypical ideas and expectations of Western womanhood only to upend them. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The result is a heady rumination on womanhood and the roles women are forced to inherit. — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for womanhood

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of womanhood was in the 15th century

Rhymes for womanhood

See All Rhymes for womanhood

Browse Nearby Words

womanhead
womanhood
womanhouse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Womanhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/womanhood. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

womanhood

noun
wom·​an·​hood ˈwu̇m-ən-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce womanhood (audio)
1
: the state of being a woman
2
: qualities associated with women
3
: womankind
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All