To make female or feminine in character, appearance, or behavior; to give female qualities to something.
From 'female' plus the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (meaning to make or cause to become). This formation pattern allows adjectives and nouns to become active verbs, though 'femalize' remains quite rare.
Verbs ending in '-ize' are productive in English, meaning we can theoretically create new ones anytime—we have 'normalize,' 'characterize,' 'victimize'—yet not all theoretically possible '-ize' words actually catch on in common usage.
Verb form implying the act of making something 'female' or 'feminine,' historically used in medicine and psychology to describe the pathologization of female bodies and characteristics.
Avoid; typically carries medicalized or pejorative connotations. If discussing actual biological transition, use 'feminizing (hormone therapy)' or specify the actual process.
["feminize","affirm gender identity","transition"]
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