women

wo-men · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Plural of "woman"; adult female human beings.

  2. 2.

    Women in general; the female sex.

Related words

Antonyms: men
See also: female, ladies, men, woman
Synonyms: females, ladies

Etymology

Irregular plural of "woman," from Old English "wifman." The unusual pronunciation with /ɪ/ in the first syllable (different from the singular) is a remnant of the Old English plural formation where the vowel changed. The spelling "women" was standardized despite not matching modern pronunciation patterns.