noun

la donna

woman

Persona adulta di sesso femminile.

Definition & meaning

Donna is an Italian feminine noun meaning “woman” or “female adult human.”

It can also mean:

Wife, especially in older, regional, or informal usage, as in mia donna “my wife.” In standard modern Italian, moglie is normally used for “wife.”
Lady or woman in respectful, literary, or traditional expressions.

Examples:

Quella donna è molto gentile. — “That woman is very kind.”
Una donna coraggiosa — “A brave woman.”
Le donne e gli uomini — “Women and men.”

The plural is donne .

Grammar & Word origin

Gender: feminine
Number: singular
Plural: donne
Article: la donna — “the woman”; una donna — “a woman”

The word comes from Latin domina , meaning “mistress,” “lady,” or “female head of a household.” It is related to Latin domus , meaning “house.” The masculine counterpart, uomo , comes from Latin homo.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

signora — “lady” or “Mrs.” It is generally more polite or formal than donna, and it is also used when addressing an adult woman.
femmina — “female.” It emphasizes biological sex and can sound impersonal, crude, or offensive when referring to a person.
moglie — “wife.” It is not a complete synonym: it specifically means a married woman in relation to her spouse.
ragazza — “girl” or “young woman.” It usually suggests a younger age than donna.

Antonyms and contrasting terms

uomo — “man.” This is the usual gender counterpart of donna, though not a strict antonym in every context.
bambino / bambina — “boy” / “girl.” These contrast with the adult meaning of donna rather than with its gender.

Common phrases & collocations

donna adulta — adult woman
giovane donna — young woman
donna incinta — pregnant woman
donna di successo — successful woman
donna d’affari — businesswoman
donna delle pulizie — cleaner, cleaning woman
donne e uomini — women and men
signore e donne — ladies and gentlemen, although the more standard expression is signore e signori