woman
woman — noun
1. A fully grown person who is female — someone who is no longer a girl.
A fully grown person who is female — someone who is no longer a girl.
A woman at the ticket counter helped us find our seats.
article + woman + location: 'the woman at [place]'
Élise is a young woman who works as a nurse at the local hospital.
adjective + woman: young woman, elderly woman
An elderly woman was walking her small dog in the park this morning.
The woman sitting next to Ari on the train offered him half her sandwich.
A woman in a red coat got off the bus and waved at the children.
- man
adult male human being
文法句型
a/the/this/that + woman
adjective + woman
用法筆記
The plural form 'women' is irregular and does not follow standard English plural rules. This sense applies to any adult female person regardless of relationship status, background, or age beyond adulthood.
常見錯誤
2. An adult who identifies as a woman and lives her life as female, regardless of t
An adult who identifies as a woman and lives her life as female, regardless of the sex marked on her original birth certificate.
Amani is a woman who transitioned in her twenties and now runs a support group.
trans woman — woman who transitioned
The clinic provides healthcare services for trans women in the local community.
compound: trans women
Lakshmi's doctor asked whether she identified as a woman on the intake form.
Women, both cisgender and transgender, often face similar challenges in the workplace.
- trans woman
more specific term used when transgender identity is relevant to the discussion
- transgender woman
fuller form of 'trans woman'
文法句型
trans + woman
woman who + [transition/identify]
用法筆記
When the transgender status of an individual is not relevant to the context, simply referring to them as 'a woman' is correct and respectful. The term 'trans woman' is used when specifically discussing transgender identity or experience.
常見錯誤
3. A man's wife, girlfriend, or regular female romantic partner.
A man's wife, girlfriend, or regular female romantic partner.
Christopher introduced his woman to the whole team at the company party.
possessive determiner + woman: 'his woman'
Eric has been with his woman for seven years and they plan to marry.
The old song tells the story of a sailor who misses his woman back home.
After the ceremony each warrior danced with his woman under the moonlight.
- wife
specifically a legally married partner; more formal
- girlfriend
romantic partner without legal marriage; more common in modern usage
- partner
gender-neutral term for a long-term romantic relationship
文法句型
possessive + woman
用法筆記
This sense often appears with a possessive determiner ('his woman') and is more common in informal speech or storytelling. In many modern contexts, 'partner', 'wife', 'girlfriend', or the person's name is preferred to avoid sounding dated or possessive.
常見錯誤
4. The whole group of adult female people, thought of together as a single category
The whole group of adult female people, thought of together as a single category in society.
Women have fought for equal rights in many countries around the world.
bare plural for women as a category
Young women in Soraya's village now drive taxis, something their grandmothers never did.
concrete generational contrast showing changed roles
Women across the region came together to discuss education for their daughters.
Shanti was the first woman in her village to visit the new health clinic alone.
- men
adult male people as a group
文法句型
women + verb
the role/rights/status of women
用法筆記
This uncountable use of the plural 'women' takes no article and refers to the social category rather than specific individuals. Similar in function to 'mankind' but specifically female. Not used with numbers (not 'two women in general').
woman — suffix
1. Added to the end of other words to create nouns that refer to a woman with a par
Added to the end of other words to create nouns that refer to a woman with a particular job, role, or from a specific place.
The chairwoman called the meeting to order at nine o'clock sharp.
compound noun: chairwoman, policewoman, congresswoman
A policewoman arrived at the scene and asked everyone to stand back.
João's cousin was elected the first congresswoman from her district last year.
The businesswoman closed the deal and shook hands with her new partners.
- -man
masculine counterpart suffix (e.g. chairman, policeman)
文法句型
[noun] + woman
用法筆記
Many job titles ending in '-woman' now have gender-neutral alternatives that are widely preferred, such as 'chairperson' instead of 'chairwoman', 'police officer' instead of 'policewoman', and 'businessperson' instead of 'businesswoman'. However, '-woman' compounds remain common and are not offensive when the gender of the person is relevant.