Feminisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of incorporating qualities deemed traditionally feminine into social roles or personal identity occurs through various transformations in society and individual behaviors
2. A shift that emphasizes and embraces feminine characteristics can influence both personal identity and societal roles across different contexts
3. The process of adopting behaviors, appearances, or roles traditionally associated with women ; the assignment or conversion of something to female gender characteristics

Etymology: Feminisation is a straightforward formation in English: it is the noun of action for "feminise," which itself was built from the Latin root for woman. The root is "femina," which traces back through Proto-Italic forms to a much older Indo-European base, but the English history is simpler. "Feminize" entered English through Middle French "-iser" and Late Latin "-izare," a verb-forming suffix that was attached to "femina" to create a verb meaning to make feminine. The noun was then formed by adding the suffix "-ation," which came into English through Old French and Latin "-atio," a common route for nouns of action. So the word is a two-stage construction: a verb built on the Latin stem, and a noun built on that verb. The English spelling with "s" is an alternative to the "z" form, and both are in common use.

Synonyms: feminization, female empowerment, gender equality, womanization, womanhood