pracownica

Pracownica is a feminine noun in Polish that refers to a woman employed by an organization, company, or institution. It denotes a person who performs work as part of employment, across a wide range of sectors, including industry, services, administration, and public institutions. The masculine counterpart is pracownik, and the plural forms are pracownice (plural feminine) and pracownicy (plural masculine).

Etymology and grammar: The term is formed from the noun praca (work) with the agentive suffix and the feminine ending, yielding pracownik (male worker) and its feminine form pracownica. It follows standard Polish gender inflection, with noun forms changing for number and case.

Usage and nuances: The word is neutral and standard in official, administrative, and everyday language. It can refer to any employed woman, from factory workers to office staff, manager assistants, or service workers. In contrast, the masculine form pracownik is used when the gender is male or unspecified. In contexts that emphasize gender, or when speaking about women workers specifically, pracownica is the appropriate term.

See also: pracownik, zatrudnienie, praca.