lady

play

noun, often attributive la·dy \ ˈlā-dē \

Definition of lady

plural ladies

1 a :a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superior

b :a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover

2 capitalized :virgin mary —usually used with Our

3 a :a woman of superior social position

b :a woman of refinement and gentle manners

c :woman, female —often used in a courteous reference

show the lady to a seat

or usually in the plural in address

ladies and gentlemen

4 a :wife

b :girlfriend, mistress

5 a :any of various titled women in Great Britain —used as the customary title of (1) a marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness or (2) the wife of a knight, baronet, member of the peerage, or one having the courtesy title of lord and used as a courtesy title for the daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl

b :a woman who is a member of an order of knighthood — compare dame

See lady defined for English-language learners

See lady defined for kids

Examples of lady in a Sentence

Her mother was always telling her to act like a lady.
He bumped into some lady walking to the bus stop.
He helped a little old lady cross the street.

Recent Examples of lady from the Web

Yeah, his Insta is full of scantily ladies and flaunting of wealth (see the pic of the champ on his private jet surrounded by cash).

— madeleine marr, miamiherald, "Celebrity feud du jour: Floyd Mayweather vs. Justin Bieber," 24 Aug. 2017
Both adult and larval lady bugs consume spider mites.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Spider mites harm plants but are easy to control," 23 Aug. 2017
The president of the Salzburg Festival is Helga Rabl-Stadler, a formidable and delightful lady.

— jay nordlinger, National Review, "Salzburg Journal, Part II," 22 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump stayed behind in New York with the president's youngest son, Barron, for the first five months of his presidency, requiring extra security at Trump Tower.

— lisa rein, courant.com, "Secret Service Says It Will Run Out Of Money To Protect Trump And His Family Sept. 30," 21 Aug. 2017
Women don’t come with instruction manuals, and lady parts are about as similar as snowflakes.

— emily morse, Glamour, "Here's How to Ask Your Partner for More Adventurous Sex," 21 Aug. 2017
In the past, sitting presidents and first ladies have hosted a reception at the White House for honorees and guests, and have sat in the audience at the ceremony to watch the proceedings.

— emma stefansky, The Hive, "The Trumps, Facing Protest, Will Skip the Kennedy Center Honors," 19 Aug. 2017
The pixie undercut — also known as the Robin Wright, after the actress who plays first lady Claire Underwood on Netflix’s House of Cards — is a shaggy version.

— elizabeth wellington, Philly.com, "This summer's pixie is grown up and cuter than ever," 18 Aug. 2017
Your favorite group of kickass ladies from Bravo's first scripted TV show Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce is finally coming back for Season 4 on Thursday, August 17 at 10PM ET/PT.

— andra chantim, Redbook, "The Stars of Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Spill on the New Season," 16 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lady.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lady

Middle English, from Old English hlǣfdige, from hlāf bread + -dige (akin to dǣge kneader of bread) — more at loaf, dairy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

lady Synonyms

Synonyms

female, woman, skirt [slang]

Related Words

dame, gentlewoman; madam, madame, senora (or señora); babe [slang], beauty, belle, chick [slang], damsel, doll, gal, girl, ingenue (or ingénue), lass, lassie, mademoiselle, maid, maiden, miss, senorita (or señorita)

LADY Defined for English Language Learners

lady

play

noun

Definition of lady for English Language Learners

: a woman who behaves in a polite way
: a woman of high social position
: a man's girlfriend

LADY Defined for Kids

lady

play

noun la·dy \ ˈlā-dē \

Definition of lady for Students

plural ladies

1 :a woman of high social position

2 :a woman or girl who behaves in a polite way

3 :woman 1

The lady behind me was first.

4 :wife

5 :a British noblewoman —used as a title

Lady Jane Grey

History for lady

Lady was actually formed as a compound word, though its nature has been completely disguised by centuries of sound change. The Old English ancestor of lady was hlǣfdige, “female head of the household.” This compound is made up of hlāf, “loaf, bread,” and -dige, which is thought to mean “kneader,” and is akin to Old English dāg, “dough.” Why the “kneader of dough” was thought to be the most important woman in the household we are not quite sure.