feminina

Feminina is the feminine form of the adjective meaning related to women or to the feminine gender in several Romance languages, most notably Portuguese and Spanish. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, and it can function as an adjective describing nouns such as identity, clothing, or roles.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin femininus, itself from femina meaning woman. The feminine form feminina or feminā inherits the root in the Romance languages.

Usage and examples: In Spanish, the corresponding word is “femenina” (for example, identidad femenina). In Portuguese, “feminina” is used for feminine nouns (for example, roupa feminina). Italian uses “femminile” rather than “feminina.” In Latin grammar, “feminina” would appear as the feminine form of an adjective describing a feminine noun.

Broader context: Beyond grammar, the word can appear in discussions of femininity or gendered language, where feminine forms mark agreement with female referents. The term is connected to wider topics in linguistics and social identity, including how languages encode gender and how speakers navigate gendered expressions in communication.