Feminism is a big topic in society today. Whether it's those cute yet heartbreaking tampon commercials, or Beyonce on stage at the 2014 MTV Music Awards, you've probably seen the word floating around. But what does it actually mean? Well, to use words from Queen Bey herself, Beyonce's "Flawless" gives about the closest and truest definition you could ask for: "Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes."

See? Despite all those confusing definitions and vague explanations people are giving, feminism is actually really, really simple. It is the belief that socially, economically, politically, and (if I might add) intellectually, women and men are equal. If you believe that women are equal to men, and should be paid the same amount to do the same job (because, yes, the wage gap still exists), then you are, by definition, a feminist.

Despite this very clear, very simple definition, a lot of people, some of whom claim to be feminists, still don't know what feminism means. A lot of people involved in this movement will scoff and tell you the word "feminazi" doesn't mean anything. And while this name has been attached to pretty much any woman who is outspoken about equality in today's society, I interpret it to mean something a little different.

Feminazi: a person who uses feminism as an excuse to hate on men or other women who don't conform to their idea of what a modern day woman should be.

This difference between feminism and feminazi-ism is important because a few very big names in feminism are actually what I would consider to be feminazis (ahem, Lena Dunham). These people use the word feminism to spread hate, whether it be against men, wives or stay at home moms. That is not what feminism is about at all. Feminism is about respecting and loving women in all lifestyles, and giving them the power to choose what they want to do with their lives. True, a lot of feminists are single, independent women who go out of their way to defy society's gender norms. But there are also a lot of feminists who are wives and mothers (ahem, Beyonce). These are women who love being what a woman is traditionally supposed to be, but believe that they and all other women should be held to the same level of respect as men are in their everyday lives.

What I'm saying, and what I hope you get from this article, is that anyone can be a feminist. You can be single, outspoken and starkly defy the gender norms and be a feminist. Or you can be married, deeply in love with your husband/kids, and still be a feminist. You can even be a man and be a feminist. Feminism is about loving and respecting all women no matter what they choose to do with their lives. It's not only about equality in traditionally masculine jobs and lifestyles, but about respect for jobs that have been looked down upon for centuries just because they are considered feminine. It's about encouraging girls to aspire to be whatever they want, whether that's a career in engineering or a career in raising children. And most of all, it's about stopping the hate in the world, not perpetuating it. It's about making sure phrases like "you throw like a girl" are never said in a condescending tone, and about representation in the media of women in all walks of life.

Feminism, at its core, is about love and respect. Anyone using that name to spread hate, or to misinform you about the definition, isn't a feminist at all.