girlfriend

noun

girl·​friend ˈgər(-ə)l-ˌfrend How to pronounce girlfriend (audio)
1
: a female friend
2
: a frequent or regular female companion in a romantic or sexual relationship

Examples of girlfriend in a Sentence

My girlfriend and I have only been dating for a couple of months. She spends hours talking on the phone with her girlfriends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An upstate New York prosecutor announced that a Buffalo man has been charged with murder after fire officials found his girlfriend and a newborn dead while responding to an apartment blaze. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Finally, the day arrived, and my friend Kelly Curtis and then-girlfriend Nancy Wilson were crouched behind the camera with Amy. Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025 But her holiday plans are hilariously derailed when her ex-husband Everett (Hudson) unexpectedly introduces his younger and successful new girlfriend. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 Deliver Me From Nowhere are real, Bruce’s romantic interest, Faye Romano (Odessa Young), is a fictional character, based on several of the rock star’s girlfriends at the time. Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for girlfriend

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of girlfriend was in 1859

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Girlfriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girlfriend. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

girlfriend

noun
girl·​friend ˈgər(-ə)l-ˌfrend How to pronounce girlfriend (audio)
1
: a female friend
2
: a regular female companion in a romantic relationship

More from Merriam-Webster on girlfriend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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