lesbian

1 of 2

adjective

les·​bi·​an ˈlez-bē-ən 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women

gay and lesbian veterans

a lesbian relationship

2

Lesbian : of or relating to Lesbos

lesbian

2 of 2

noun

plural lesbians

: a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women : a gay woman

lesbians and gay men

Examples of lesbian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Fortunately, unlike Deborah’s scheme to use Ava and pose as a lesbian couple to trick Burnett’s white jumpsuit off an old comedy rival (Cherry Jones), the problem wasn’t one of ownership, but of size. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 May 2026

He’s often removed from council meetings after making hostile comments toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Muslims, immigrants, and other groups of people. —Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 20 May 2026

Noun

By its end, there is even less coherence between the characters and plotlines, diverging into a few pages from the perspective of a desperately horny lesbian crab. —Literary Hub, 21 May 2026

Think Brokeback Mountain meets La Belle Noiseuse but with both lesbians and gays and a more hopeful ending. —Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

(sense 1) from association with the ardent poetry written by Sappho of Lesbos (c. 610-c. 580 b.c.) to and about other women in the female religious and educational community she led

First Known Use

Adjective

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1732, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lesbian

noun

les·​bi·​an

ˈlez-bē-ən

: a gay woman

lesbian adjective

lesbianism

-bē-ə-ˌniz-əm

noun

Medical Definition

lesbian

1 of 2 adjective

les·​bi·​an ˈlez-bē-ən 

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women

gay and lesbian adults

a lesbian relationship

lesbian

2 of 2 noun

: a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women : a gay woman