femmes
Ladies of Paris
Femmes is the plural of femme, a French word for woman that appears in English phrases like femme fatale (a seductive, dangerous woman) and cherchez la femme (look for the woman behind a situation).
In LGBTQ+ contexts, femmes are queer women or nonbinary people who present in traditionally feminine ways, often contrasted with butches: The bar was full of butches and femmes.
Female adults collectively
- ladiesWomen, respectfully addressed
- sisterhoodBond among women
- daughtersFemale offspring, plural
- mothersFemale parents collectively
grandmothers · aunties · matriarchy · maternity · motherhood · heroines · queens · matrons
Unusual or non-normative
- lesbianWoman desiring women
- sapphicWomen attracted to women
- LGBTQSexual and gender minorities
- butchMasculine in manner
androgynous · nonbinary · gender · presentation · expression · visibility · community · pride
Effortless beauty of motion
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- glamourFascinating, elegant attractiveness
- chicTasteful, current flair
style · refined · polished · aesthetic · allure · beauty · fashionable · stylish
Direct effort for reform
- feminismAdvocacy for sex equality
- equalitySame status for all
- liberationRelease from constraint
- advocacyPleading for a cause
rights · agency · independence · solidarity · justice · movement · voice · progress
women
Female adults collectively
- ladiesWomen, respectfully addressed
- sisterhoodBond among women
- daughtersFemale offspring, plural
mothers · grandmothers · aunties · matriarchy · maternity · motherhood · heroines · queens · matrons · girlfriends
queer
Unusual or non-normative
butch · androgynous · nonbinary · gender · presentation · expression · visibility · community · pride · spectrum
grace
Effortless beauty of motion
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- glamourFascinating, elegant attractiveness
chic · style · refined · polished · aesthetic · allure · beauty · fashionable · stylish · radiant
activism
Direct effort for reform
- feminismAdvocacy for sex equality
- equalitySame status for all
- liberationRelease from constraint
advocacy · rights · agency · independence · solidarity · justice · movement · voice · progress · resistance
femmesbutches
Masculine-presenting queer women
studs · tomboys · dykes · androgynous
- femme fataleTreacherous enchantress
- high femmeIntensely feminine gender expression