フェミニスト
ふぇみにすと
noun
feminist
1.
feminist; advocate for women's rights
A person who supports feminism and advocates for equal rights for women. Borrowed from English 'feminist.'
彼女はフェミニストだ。
She is a feminist.
フェミニストとして男女平等を訴えている。
As a feminist, she advocates for gender equality.
フェミニストの視点から社会問題を分析する研究者が増えている。
More researchers are analyzing social issues from a feminist perspective.
2.
a man who is chivalrous or gallant toward women
In older or colloquial Japanese usage, a man who treats women with special courtesy or kindness. This meaning differs from the English sense.
彼はフェミニストで女性に優しい。
He is gallant and kind to women.
昔はフェミニストと言えば女性に親切な男性のことだった。
In the past, 'feminist' referred to a man who was courteous to women.
祖父は古い意味でのフェミニストで、いつも女性にドアを開けてあげていた。
My grandfather was a feminist in the old sense — he always held the door open for women.
フェミニスト is a loanword from English "feminist" with two distinct meanings in Japanese.
SENSE 1 — FEMINIST (modern, dominant):
Advocate for women's rights and gender equality. This meaning aligns with international usage and is now standard.
- フェミニスト運動: feminist movement
- フェミニスト的な: feminist, feministic
SENSE 2 — CHIVALROUS MAN (older usage):
A man who treats women with special courtesy. This meaning was common in the Showa era and still appears among older speakers.
CAUTION:
These two meanings can cause confusion. In modern media and academic contexts, sense 1 is almost always intended.
RELATED:
- フェミニズム: feminism
- 男女平等: gender equality