Woman
Woman, also known as lady, madam, or girl (diminutive) is a binary Western gender. The plural of woman is women. It is often associated with femininity and a connection to girlhood or womanhood (as defined in one's society).[1] Women are typically associated with the female sex, but this is not a definitive case as it does not encompass those who are trans women or intersex individuals raised as women. Some non-binary individuals may have a partial connection to being a woman/girl or femininity, in which case they may identify as a non-binary woman, woman-aligned, and/or fiaspec.
Woman is a term used for adults, while girl is used for children and teenagers.[2] Lady or madam is used as a formal word for women.[3][4]
Individuals who are assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB) are often raised with the expectation that they will identify as women, although not all AFAB individuals are female and not all females are AFAB. Identifying as a woman is often associated with a feminine gender expression and gender role, however women do not have to present in a feminine manner, nor do all feminine-presenting individuals identify as women. Those that express themselves differently in contrast to their gender identity are referred to as gender nonconforming.
Related Terms
| Label | Relationship | Description | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiaspec | Counterpart | Fiaspec is an umbrella term for anyone on the female/woman spectrum. | Fiaspec encompasses a collection of female/woman identities, whereas woman is commonly seen as a single gender identity. |
| Fingender | Counterpart | Fingender is an umbrella term for all genders which are feminine in nature (FIN). | Fingender is for genders that are in some way feminine (even if they are not female or a woman in any way). |
| Man | Counterpart | A binary gender associated with masculinity and a connection to boyhood or manhood. | Man is the masculine counterpart to woman. |
| Non-Binary | Similar | A gender that is not 100% solely a binary man or woman. | A 100% binary woman is not considered to be non-binary. |
Flags & Symbols
The astronomical symbol for Venus is the most common symbol for women. It represents the hand mirror of the Roman goddess of love.[5]
The woman flag was created by Tumblr user Trintinic on December 29, 2017. The dark pink represents those who identify fully as women, light pink is for those who identify partially as women, and white represents multigender individuals who have woman as one of their genders.[6]
Woman Symbol
Resources
- ↑ "femininity". Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/femininity. Accessed on 3 May, 2023.
- ↑ "girl". Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/girl. Accessed on 3 May, 2023.
- ↑ "lady". Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/lady. Accessed on 3 May, 2023.
- ↑ "madam". Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/madam. Accessed on 3 May, 2023.
- ↑ "Solar System Symbols" Solar System Exploration, NASA/Moore Boeck, 30 Jan, 2018, https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/680/solar-system-symbols/
- ↑ trintinic. "Woman Flag". Tumblr, 29 Dec, https://web.archive.org/web/20180326051732/https://trintinic.tumblr.com/post/169059132556/woman-flag-i-created-this-flag-because-i.
