kvindelige

Kvindelige is a Danish adjective form meaning "female" or "women's." It is derived from the noun kvinde (woman) and is used to describe feminine nouns. The form kvindelige appears in common contexts such as kvindelige studerende (female students) or den kvindelige læge (the female doctor). As with Danish adjectives, the form changes to agree with the noun it describes, and kvindelige is one of the standard inflected forms used in definite singular and plural constructions, as well as in many pluralless phrases.

In usage, kvindelige is employed across many registers, including education, employment, and cultural or demographic descriptions. It functions to specify gender within groups or roles, for example describing a workforce, a body of researchers, or a cohort of students. The term is typically neutral and descriptive, rather than pejorative, though its connotation can vary with context and tone.

Cognate forms exist in other Scandinavian languages, reflecting shared roots. In Norwegian Bokmål and Danish, similar adjectives derive from the same word family (in Norwegian, kvinnelige; in Swedish, kvinnliga). While the exact spelling differs, the basic meaning—"female" or "woman-related"—and the function of modifying a noun remain comparable.

Etymology traces kvindelige to the noun kvinde (woman) with the suffix -elig/-lig, a common Germanic formation for qualities or characteristics. The term has been part of Danish usage for many centuries and remains active in contemporary language, including media, statistics, and feminist discourse. See also gender, femininity, and Danish grammar.