female / woman, women

While female (and male) are generally used as adjectives, be aware of nuance with the use of “female” as a descriptor for women. As the AP Stylebook notes, “it can be seen as emphasizing biology and reproductive capacity over gender identity” and can “sometimes carry misogynistic tones.” For those reasons, the use of “woman” or “women” as an adjective is becoming more common. Kamala Harris was the country’s first woman vice president.