# female

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈfiː.meɪl/ · frequency rank #1,076

## Definitions
1. Belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
2. Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare feminine, womanly.)
3. Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
4. Feminine; of the feminine grammatical gender.
5. Lacking the F factor, and able to receive DNA from another bacterium which does have this factor (a male).
6. Having an internal socket, as in a connector or pipe fitting.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *fēmanā
Latin fēmina
Proto-Indo-European *-lós
Proto-Italic *-elos
Latin -lus
Latin fēmella
Old French femelebor.
Middle English femele
Middle English female
English female
From Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele, from Old French femele, femelle (“female”), from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”), from Latin fēmella (“a girl, a young female, a young woman”), diminutive of fēmina (“a woman”). The English spelling and pronunciation were remodelled under the influence of male, which is otherwise not etymologically related. Contrast woman, which is etymologically built on man (as in, “person”).

## Easily confused with
- **fetal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-fetal)
- **feral** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-feral)
- **femme** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-femme)
- **finale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-finale)
- **fumble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-fumble)
- **females** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/female-vs-females)
- **FEMA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fema-vs-female)
- **fecal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fecal-vs-female)
- **feeble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feeble-vs-female)

## Common misspellings (8)
`efmale`, `feamle`, `femael`, `femalle`, `femlae`, `femmale`, `ffemale`, `fmeale`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/female