lesbian

adjective
les·​bi·​an | \ ˈlez-bē-ən How to pronounce lesbian (audio) \

Definition of lesbian

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

noun
plural lesbians

Definition of lesbian (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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 Child services eventually show up at his house and Loquareeous now heads to live with a white lesbian couple, which makes life absolutely miserable. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2022 The Furies and other lesbian feminists sought to turn this logic inside out: What could be more quintessentially feminist than women loving other women? Sasha Archibald, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2021 Most Pride events typically take place in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, which is a pivotal moment in gay and lesbian history. Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2022 In 2016, Finding Dory briefly showed an apparent lesbian couple, but the filmmakers declined to confirm this. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 15 June 2022 Naysheen Collins and Simone Kolysh, an interracial lesbian couple with four children, said the climate for LGBTQ people has led them to consider moving from their home outside Frederick, Md., to D.C. for a more welcoming environment. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 7 June 2022 Beverly Shaw was the artist on this, and it’s where Midge takes Suzy to the Trapdoor, a lesbian bar. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022 With a quarter of all openly gay or lesbian lawmakers in the state legislature and the potential to add three more in November, San Diego has built a base for LGBTQ representation by filling local seats and advancing candidates to higher office. Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2022 Through her accounting of McCullers’s life (and her own), Shapland argues that the author’s work must be understood through her lesbian identity. Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Jacobson and Graham also consulted with real-life AAGPBL players like Maybelle Blair, who publicly came out as a lesbian this year at the age of 95. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2022 An article on Twitter about a young lesbian named Emma in Edgewater, Ind., whose high school prom was canceled to prevent her from attending with her girlfriend, hands them a surefire social media cause. Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 Studies show that young lesbian and bisexual young women are at a greater risk of an unwanted pregnancy than their heterosexual peers. Jen Christensen, CNN, 28 July 2022 It’s all well and good for Korg to be portrayed as a gay man and for Valkyrie to be depicted as a Black lesbian. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 July 2022 For Bilton’s mother, Debra, a cult-prone lesbian, Harrison was more than a sperm donor. Janet Manley, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 Stalter created the series and will star as Beth Parker, a 20-year-old Christian and closeted lesbian who wrestles with her sexuality and faith in God while entering adulthood in suburban Ohio. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 June 2022 The show’s curatorial team acquired a complete set of the highly influential lesbian/feminist catalog Ladyslipper Music—a donation from the catalog’s founder Laurie Fuchs. Lucia Cheng, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2022 That’s an attitude demanded by owner Honor Huxley, a lesbian. Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2022 See More

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

First Known Use of lesbian

Adjective

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1732, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for lesbian

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

Learn More About lesbian

Time Traveler for lesbian

Time Traveler

The first known use of lesbian was in 1559

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near lesbian

Lesage

lesbian

lesbianism

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for lesbian

Last Updated

31 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Lesbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian. Accessed 7 Sep. 2022.

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More Definitions for lesbian

lesbian

adjective
les·​bi·​an | \ ˈlez-bē-ən How to pronounce lesbian (audio) \

Medical Definition of lesbian

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women gay and lesbian adults a lesbian relationship

lesbian

noun

Medical Definition of lesbian (Entry 2 of 2)

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lesbian

Nglish: Translation of lesbian for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lesbian for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lesbian

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