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
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
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Today, there is sustained pressure on the APA to discard the gender dysphoria diagnosis and, just as with gay and lesbian people, totally depathologize trans people in the eyes of psychiatry.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Etcetera, a gay and lesbian magazine in Atlanta, reported that between 1984 and 1986, at least 18 gay men died at the hands of unidentified perpetrators.
—Longreads, 4 Apr. 2024
In addition to Ace, one year after her daughter Max, 20, came out as bi, her younger daughter Kat, 17, came out as lesbian.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Annette Bening, who has been married to actor Warren Beatty for more than 30 years, was nominated in the best actress category for her portrayal of the outspoken lesbian swimmer.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Just 32 lesbian bars now exist in the United States, according to the Lesbian Bar Project, a campaign that aims to support and preserve lesbian bars.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The character has also come under fire for reasons that lie outside of popular culture, as frustration has increased over the minimization of the role of women, both straight and lesbian, in the struggles and movements that have defined the past 60 years of gay history.
—Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
The shift has been from worrying about the technique, in itself, to worrying about who’s using it: gay couples using it, lesbian couples using it, single people using it with egg or sperm donation.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Candace Hansen, SPIN, 12 Apr. 2024
Similarly, there was little room for gay men or lesbians in cowboy culture.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Unable to make ends meet in his high-end lifestyle, he’s approached by Fatima (Kerry Washington), his ex-fiancé who came out as a lesbian when Jack caught her in an act of infidelity with a woman and broke off their engagement.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
Related After Rapp started referring to herself as a lesbian in multiple public appearances over the last few months, discourse began among the singer’s fans, with some openly asking if the star still identified as bisexual.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Femme lesbians adopt a traditionally feminine expression of their gender identities.
—Claire Gillespie, Health, 13 Dec. 2023
But instituting these local protections could be an uphill battle, said Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat who is a lesbian.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Research over the last decade has found that lesbians have more orgasms than straight women, but questions remained as to why.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, California Republicans, hoping to exploit a backlash against the nascent gay rights movement, placed Proposition 6 on the ballot: a proposal to bar gay men and lesbians from working in public schools.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Gay and lesbian Americans have moved into the cultural and social mainstream.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Today, there is sustained pressure on the APA to discard the gender dysphoria diagnosis and, just as with gay and lesbian people, totally depathologize trans people in the eyes of psychiatry.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Etcetera, a gay and lesbian magazine in Atlanta, reported that between 1984 and 1986, at least 18 gay men died at the hands of unidentified perpetrators.
—Longreads, 4 Apr. 2024
In addition to Ace, one year after her daughter Max, 20, came out as bi, her younger daughter Kat, 17, came out as lesbian.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Annette Bening, who has been married to actor Warren Beatty for more than 30 years, was nominated in the best actress category for her portrayal of the outspoken lesbian swimmer.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Just 32 lesbian bars now exist in the United States, according to the Lesbian Bar Project, a campaign that aims to support and preserve lesbian bars.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The character has also come under fire for reasons that lie outside of popular culture, as frustration has increased over the minimization of the role of women, both straight and lesbian, in the struggles and movements that have defined the past 60 years of gay history.
—Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
The shift has been from worrying about the technique, in itself, to worrying about who’s using it: gay couples using it, lesbian couples using it, single people using it with egg or sperm donation.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
In August 1995, Schemel came out as a lesbian in Rolling Stone magazine while the band were promoting Live Through This, a move ahead of its time.
—Candace Hansen, SPIN, 12 Apr. 2024
Similarly, there was little room for gay men or lesbians in cowboy culture.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Unable to make ends meet in his high-end lifestyle, he’s approached by Fatima (Kerry Washington), his ex-fiancé who came out as a lesbian when Jack caught her in an act of infidelity with a woman and broke off their engagement.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
Related After Rapp started referring to herself as a lesbian in multiple public appearances over the last few months, discourse began among the singer’s fans, with some openly asking if the star still identified as bisexual.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Femme lesbians adopt a traditionally feminine expression of their gender identities.
—Claire Gillespie, Health, 13 Dec. 2023
But instituting these local protections could be an uphill battle, said Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat who is a lesbian.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Research over the last decade has found that lesbians have more orgasms than straight women, but questions remained as to why.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, California Republicans, hoping to exploit a backlash against the nascent gay rights movement, placed Proposition 6 on the ballot: a proposal to bar gay men and lesbians from working in public schools.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lesbian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lesbian
Cite this Entry
“Lesbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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