lesbian

adjective les·bi·an \ ˈlez-bē-ən \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of lesbian

1 often capitalized : of or relating to Lesbos

[from the reputed homosexual band associated with Sappho of Lesbos]

: of or relating to homosexuality between females

Recent Examples of lesbian from the Web

Racial integration, women’s equality, the role of gay and lesbian Americans in public life — time and again, the military has played an important, if often reluctant, role in tackling the country’s biggest challenges.

— david scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "The US military: The greatest social engineering machine ever built," 9 June 2018
Valdez and 23rd District nominee Ortiz Jones are both openly lesbian, which actually did not draw much attention in their contests.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Another Big Primary Night for Democratic Women," 23 May 2018
The Shorewood resolution says that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is not a disease.

— jeff rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Shorewood might ban gay conversion therapy, following the lead of dozens of other cities," 8 May 2018
In a May 22 runoff election, White faces Lupe Valdez, a former Dallas County sheriff who is lesbian.

— mike ward, Houston Chronicle, "Andrew White resigns as church elder," 23 Apr. 2018
In the past 13 months, federal appeals courts in Chicago and New York also have ruled that gay and lesbian employees are entitled to protection from discrimination under Title VII.

— mark sherman, chicagotribune.com, "As Supreme Court nears wedding cake decision, more LGBT rights issues loom," 26 May 2018
Boston was among the first cities in the US to hold a gay and lesbian liberation march in 1971.

— cristela guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "Nearly 16 percent of 18 to 24 year olds in Mass. identify as LGBT, report says," 24 May 2018
Sixty-four percent of the inclusive films included gay men, 36% included lesbian women, and 14% included bisexual individuals.

— refinery29.com, "This New Study Proves That Hollywood Does Not Get Intersectionality," 23 May 2018
Wilson, a lesbian, Baptist pastor and former math professor, finished atop the field of four Democrats in the March 6 primary with $929 of campaign cash.

— jasper scherer, San Antonio Express-News, "‘Comfortable in her own skin’: Mary Wilson bids to become the first lesbian Baptist pastor in Congress," 15 May 2018

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

1567

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

lesbian

noun

Definition of lesbian

: a woman who is a homosexual

See lesbian defined for English-language learners

See lesbian defined for kids

Recent Examples of lesbian from the Web

More fiction: Stephen King, whose thriller The Outsider just hit stores in May, returns in October with the novella Elevation, about a man mysteriously losing weight while battling the lesbians next door.

— jocelyn mcclurg, USA TODAY, "Michelle Obama, King, Sparks, Grisham, Witherspoon: An early look at the big books of fall," 1 June 2018
In 2015, Suffolk/USAToday conducted a poll on the levels of discrimination against gays and lesbians.

— grace sparks, CNN, "Marriage is the least of LGBTQ+ issues at the start of Pride Month," 1 June 2018
When the press was in its heyday, its members taught offset printing classes to other feminists and lesbians.

— annie vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Lesbian archive preserves a time when the Bay Area changed radically," 26 May 2018
But in playwright Philip Dawkins’ imaginings, Williams is spending this night with his arms around a wound-tight William Inge, staring through his binoculars at two Chicago lesbians across the street, making love with the curtains open.

— chris jones, chicagotribune.com, "'The Gentleman Caller' an engrossing story of Inge and Williams, but it needs to get messier," 4 Apr. 2018
Dan Choi, a New York National Guardsman, West Point grad, Arabic linguist, Iraq vet, and openly gay man who has spent the past year lobbying publicly for an end to the policy barring gays and lesbians from service.

— Newsweek, "Amazing Photos of Bioluminescent Phytoplankton," 14 Mar. 2018
In March 2017, the appeals court in Atlanta ruled against a lesbian who was fired from a hospital, and the Supreme Court declined the hear the case.

— erik larson, Bloomberg.com, "Sexual-Orientation Bias Violates Law, Appeals Court Says," 26 Feb. 2018
Finally identifying as a lesbian was like breathing out for me.

— dan savage, Chicago Reader, "What to do when someone horns in on all the action at the orgy," 23 May 2018
There’s little precedent for a black female celebrity at her level living openly as a lesbian in a gay relationship.

— jenna wortham, New York Times, "How Janelle Monáe Found Her Voice," 19 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of lesbian

circa 1890

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

LESBIAN Defined for English Language Learners

lesbian

noun

Definition of lesbian for English Language Learners

: a woman who is sexually attracted to other women : a female homosexual

Medical Dictionary

lesbian

adjective les·bi·an \ ˈlez-bē-ən \

medical Definition of lesbian

: of or relating to homosexuality between females

lesbian

noun

medical Definition of lesbian

: a female homosexual

Learn More about lesbian

Spanish Central: Translation of 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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lesbian

Definition of lesbian

Recent Examples of lesbian from the Web

First Known Use of lesbian

lesbian

Definition of lesbian

Recent Examples of lesbian from the Web

First Known Use of lesbian

LESBIAN Defined for English Language Learners

lesbian

Definition of lesbian for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

lesbian

medical Definition of lesbian

lesbian

medical Definition of lesbian

Learn More about lesbian

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