Standard Lemma guide

womanly

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈwʊmənli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Considered typical of, stereotypical of, or appropriate to women; feminine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Female.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In the manner of a woman.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: womanlily

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • womanly virtues of gentleness and compassion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: feminine

Antonyms: unwomanly

History

Etymology

From Middle English womanly, wommanlich, wommanly, wommanlych, wummonlich, equivalent to woman + -ly (adjectival suffix).

From Middle English wommanliche, wommanly, equivalent to woman + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Across languages

Translations

75 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نِسَوِيّ (nisawiyy) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Aromanian: muljirescu — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Belarusian: жано́чы (žanóčy) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Belarusian: жано́цкі (žanócki) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Bulgarian: же́нствен (žénstven) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Bulgarian: же́нски (žénski) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Chinese Mandarin: 女子氣 /女子气 (nǚzǐqì) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Czech: ženský — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Danish: kvindelig — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Esperanto: virina — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Finnish: naisellinen — having the characteristics of a woman
  • French: féminin — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Georgian: ქალური (kaluri) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Georgian: დედაკაცური (dedaḳacuri) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • German: weiblich — having the characteristics of a woman
  • German: fraulich — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Greek: γυναικείος (gynaikeíos) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Hindi: स्त्रैण (straiṇ) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Hungarian: nőies — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Indonesian: betina — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Irish: banúil — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Middle Irish: banamail — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Italian: femminile — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Italian: femmineo — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Italian: muliebre — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Italian: donnesco — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Italian: femminino — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Japanese: 女らしい (onnarashii) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Korean: 여자답다 (yeojadapda) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Korean: 녀자답다 (nyeojadapda) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Latin: muliebris — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Latvian: sievišķīgs — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Latvian: sievišķs — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Latvian: sieviešu — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Macedonian: женствен (ženstven) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Macedonian: женски (ženski) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Manx: benoil — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kvinnelig — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kvinneleg — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Old English: wīflīċ — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Pashto: ښځينه (ẍëźina) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Persian: زنانه (zanâne) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Polish: kobiecy — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Polish: żeński — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Polish: babi — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Portuguese: feminino — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Romanian: feminin — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Romanian: femeiesc — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Romanian: muieresc — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Russian: же́нственный (žénstvennyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Russian: же́нский (žénskij) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Russian: женоподо́бный (ženopodóbnyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Russian: ба́бий (bábij) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Scottish Gaelic: banail — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Serbo-Croatian: жѐнскӣ — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Serbo-Croatian: žènskī — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Slovak: ženský — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Slovene: ženski — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: femenino — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: mujeril — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: femenil — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: femíneo — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: feminoide — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: amujerado — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: adamado — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: ahembrado — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Spanish: afeminado — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Swedish: kvinnlig — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Tajik: занона (zanona) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Turkish: kadınsı — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Ukrainian: жіно́чий (žinóčyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Ukrainian: жіно́чний (žinóčnyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Ukrainian: жіно́цький (žinócʹkyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Ukrainian: жінкоподі́бний (žinkopodíbnyj) — having the characteristics of a woman
  • Yakut: дьахтардыы (jaqtardïï) — having the characteristics of a woman