Female and woman are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. A female is a biological sex category that refers to the sex of an organism, while a woman is a gender identity that refers to an adult human female. FEMALE definition: 1. belonging or relating to women or girls: 2. belonging or relating to the sex that can give…. Learn more. Female (also known as woman, lady, chick, gal, dudette, or girl (diminutive)) is a gender which is part of the Western gender binary. It is often associated with femininity and a connection to girlhood or femininity (as defined in one's society). In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning “young woman, girl,” which in turn is based on femina, meaning “woman.” Characteristics of organisms with a female sex vary between different species, having different female reproductive systems, with some species showing characteristics secondary to the reproductive system, as with mammary glands in mammals. The words woman, girl, and female are often used in distorted and inappropriate ways. Learn why female should only be used as an adjective, why underage women don't exist, and why adults are women and not girls. Female anatomy includes the internal and external reproductive organs. Labeled diagrams help explain the main structures and functions of the body.