Definition of lady
ladies
1a : a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superiorb : a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover
2 capitalized : virgin mary —usually used with Our
3a : a woman of superior social positionb : a woman of refinement and gentle mannersc : woman, female —often used in a courteous reference show the lady to a seat or usually in the plural in address ladies and gentlemen
4a : wifeb : girlfriend, mistress
5a : 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 earlb : a woman who is a member of an order of knighthood — compare dame
From the M-W Editors
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
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The grants are given to help students develop a love for reading and learning, according to the foundation, started by the former first lady.
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The U.S. government does not provide first ladies with a wardrobe allowance — though attire for official events of public or historic significance may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government.
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Brigitte Macron is new to the role of France’s first lady, but Mr. Macron has credited her with giving him valuable political advice.
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On the weekends, the cadets would explore Miami’s wonders: the beach, the swimming pool shows and the clubs where a dime bought a dance with a pretty lady.
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Proximity to Carter, and a clever courting of the first lady, eventually led Brzezinski to be perceived as Carter’s indispensable man.
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First lady Melania Trump was omnipresent, though largely silent and emotionless.
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The U.S. government does provide first ladies with a wardrobe allowance.
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Just watching man children get upset that Alamo Drafthouse is running a ladies night screening of Wonder Woman.
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.
LADY Defined for English Language Learners
lady
playDefinition of lady for English Language Learners
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: a woman who behaves in a polite way
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: a woman of high social position
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: a man's girlfriend
LADY Defined for Kids
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.
Learn More about lady
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See words that rhyme with lady Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lady Spanish Central: Translation of lady Nglish: Translation of lady for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lady for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lady
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