poetisa

Poetisa is a feminine noun used in several Romance-language contexts to designate a woman who composes poetry. In Spanish, poetisa is the feminine form of poeta and is used to mark the gender of the poet explicitly. In Portuguese, poetisa exists as a feminine variant as well, though many writers prefer the gender-neutral poeta in casual or contemporary contexts.

In English-language usage, the term is uncommon today; historical or literary translations might use poetess, which is generally considered archaic or stylistically marked. The neutral English term is simply poet.

Origin and usage: The form reflects a common pattern in Romance languages of creating feminine forms for occupational nouns by adding a feminine suffix to a base word. Acceptability and frequency vary by region and era. Some style guides favor gender-neutral language and recommend using poeta or poet with explicit gender clarifications, while others continue to employ poetisa in Spanish- or Portuguese-language writing, especially in biographical, critical, or historical texts.

In contemporary practice, poetisa can still appear to emphasize female authorship or to reflect historical texts, but it is less common in everyday language. When exact gender identification is not required, many editors opt for gender-neutral alternatives or rely on contextual cues rather than a gendered noun.