1 The word feminism is a noun that as a few different meanings.com states that feminism has two definitions. The first definition, states that feminism is "Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes" (www.dictionary.com). The second definition reads, "The movement organized around this belief"(www.dictionary.com). As stated by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is the "Theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes," (The Merriam Webster-Dictionary 280) and the second listed definition is "Organized activity on behalf on women's rights and interests." Although the definitions appear to be somewhat similar, the contrasting aspects can be seen. In example, the online dictionary resource views feminism as a belief as opposed to a theory. The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language only has "The belief that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men" (The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language 67). Basically, the past three dictionary sources have the same ideas behind the definition. However, the Political Dictionary has a more in-depth perception on what feminism is. It defines feminism as "The movement that attempts to obtain women equal rights in all spheres of life including; discrimination in work (equal opportunity means equal pay), education, and activities funded by the government" (Political Dictionary 45). Although politics is somewhat related to sociology, the Sociology Dictionary defines feminism as "A theoretical and ideological framework that directly opposes sexism by supporting gender equality" (Dictionary of Sociology Terms and Phrases 89-90). This definition seems to be the most precise out of all of them. It gives one an understanding of the word and in a way summarizes all the other definitions. It seems as if the regular dictionaries are too vague with their definitions, whereas the Social Science references explains feminism in greater detail.
