First Lady

noun

variants or first lady

plural First Ladies or first ladies

1

: the wife or female partner of the chief executive of a country or jurisdiction

It is a reminder of just how peculiar the role of First Lady is in American public life. She has a job with no salary, a platform with no power, an East Wing filled with staff but no budget.

—Jonathan Van Meter

As a supermodel, singer-songwriter, and former first lady of France, no one has had a career quite like Carla Bruni. Since her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, left office in 2012, Bruni has focused on her music.

—Janelle Okwodu

also : someone who is not the wife or female partner of a chief executive but who fulfills the public duties of a First Lady

Unique among First Ladies, Harriet Lane acted as hostess for the only President who never married: James Buchanan, her favorite uncle and her guardian after she was orphaned at the age of eleven.

—Allida Black

2

: the leading woman of an art or profession

Back before Mobb Deep, before the whole Juice Crew, the first MC to blow up big out of the Bridge was hip hop's universally recognized First Lady, Roxanne Shanté.

—Sacha Jenkins

Carolyn Wells is the first lady of barbecue—alongside her late husband Gary Wells and friend Rick Welch, the three founded the Kansas City Barbeque Society in 1986.

—Damian Dominguez

Examples of First Lady in a Sentence

The President and the First Lady attended the concert.

the first lady of American dance

Recent Examples on the Web

Moyer plays The Father, a top hitman; Lyons plays Adam, a former spy lured out of retirement; Morrison plays the First Lady. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025

The German first couple’s visit to the United Kingdom is the latest state visit the British royal family has hosted in 2025, following a state visit from the President and First Lady of the United States in September, among others. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Dec. 2025

In total, the Trumps' Christmas decorations include 75 wreaths with classic red bows, more than 50 Christmas trees, 700 feet of garland, 25,000 feet of ribbon, and 10,000 butterflies, according to a press release from the Office of the First Lady. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

Rachel Zegler became the people’s princess — or maybe their First Lady — this year, starring as Eva Perón in Evita on the West End. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for First Lady

• arcady
• landlady
• cady
• shady
• zaidi

Kids Definition

first lady

noun

often capitalized F&L

: the wife, female partner, or hostess of the chief executive of a country or jurisdiction