Femininity (also called womanliness or womanhood) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors. This makes it distinct from the simple definition of the biological female sex, as women, men, and transgender people can all exhibit feminine traits.

Behavioral traits generally considered feminine include gentleness, empathy, and sensitivity , though traits associated with femininity often vary depending on location and context, and include a variety of social and cultural factors. The counterpart to femininity is masculinity.

The English word feminine is derived from the Latin femina meaning "woman" or "female," and literally "she who suckles".

Modern notions of femininity began during the English medieval period at the time of the bubonic plague in the 1300s. Women in the Middle Ages were referred to simply as maiden, wife, or widow. After the Black Death in England wiped out approximately half of the population, traditional gender roles of wife and mother changed, and opportunities opened up for women in society. The concept of "woman" changed in a number of ways and new language had to be created to describe these roles, with words like femininity and womanhood.