Definition

Noun: 1. The process of becoming feminized; the development of female characteristics (loss of facial hair or breast enlargement) in a male because of hormonal disorders or castration. This refers to a biological or physiological process where a male body acquires traits typically associated with females. 2. The act of making something more feminine or characterized by women. This broader, often sociological, meaning refers to the process of increasing the presence, influence, or characteristics of women or femininity within a particular domain.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Biological context):
  • The patient experienced feminisation due to the hormonal imbalance.
  • Certain medical conditions can lead to the feminisation of secondary sexual characteristics.
• Noun (Sociological context):
  • The feminisation of the teaching profession has been a notable trend over the past century.
  • Some analysts discuss the feminisation of poverty, referring to the increasing concentration of poverty among women.

Advanced Usage

• "Feminisation of work": A sociological concept describing how certain types of labor (e.g., care work, service jobs) become dominated by or associated with women, often impacting wages and job security.
• "Feminisation of migration": Refers to the growing proportion of women among international migrant populations.

Variants and Related Words

• Feminize (verb): To make something more feminine or to cause feminisation.
  • The policy aimed to feminize the workplace culture.
• Feminized (adjective): Having been made feminine or characterized by feminisation.
  • A feminized industry.
• Femininity (noun): The quality or nature of being feminine.

Synonyms

• Effeminization (specifically for biological/behavioral traits in males)
• Female-ification (informal)
• Gynocentrism (in specific sociological contexts, meaning focused on or dominated by women)

Antonyms

• Masculinisation (the process of becoming masculine)

Noun

1. the process of becoming feminized; the development of female characteristics (loss of facial hair or breast enlargement) in a male because of hormonal disorders or castration