An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Belief in the social, political, and economic freedom of women and equality of the sexes. Feminism is closely tied to democracy and → secularism.
   

2. The movement organized around this belief.

Etymology (EN): From Fr. féminisme, from féminin “feminine, female,” from L. femininus “feminine” (originally in the grammatical sense), from femina “woman, female,” literally “she who suckles,”
cognates fecund “fruitful, fertile,” felix “happy,” fetus “offspring, pregnancy;” PIE base *d^heh(i)- “to suck, suckle;” cf. Gk. thele “mother’s breast;” Pers. dâyé “wet nurse.”

Etymology (PE): Zâd-zan-bâvari, from zâdzan “free woman” (on the model of zâdmard “free man, valiant man, generous man,” zâdsarv “tall and upright cypress tree”), from zâd, contraction of âzâd,
→ free,

• zan, → woman, + bâvari, → -ism.