lesbian
adjective
\
Definition of lesbian
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 often capitalized : of or relating to Lesbos
2 [ from the reputed homosexual band associated with Sappho of Lesbos ] : of or relating to homosexuality between females
lesbian
nounDefinition of lesbian (Entry 2 of 2)
: a woman who is a homosexual
Examples of lesbian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Many physicians and other clinicians provide care to people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual, Petroll said. — Guy Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Froedtert Health and Medical College of Wisconsin to open clinic that focuses on LGBTQ community," 8 June 2018 The increases were particularly pointed among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students. — New York Times, "Sex and Drugs Decline Among Teens, but Depression and Suicidal Thoughts Grow," 14 June 2018 Of the 115 Democrats running for Legislature, five are current teachers; 58 are women; 51 are people of color; and eight are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, according to ADLCC. — Dustin Gardiner, azcentral, "In wake of #RedForEd, first-time candidates flood races for Arizona Legislature," 4 June 2018 Three years later, as the group faced criticism from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights groups, the Boy Scouts formally announced an end to its ban on gay Scouts. — Kurtis Lee, latimes.com, "Mormon Church to sever all ties with Boy Scouts, ending a century-old bond," 9 May 2018 Most were focused on the lesbian, gay and bisexual part of the acronym, said Jeremy Goldbach, an associate professor of social work at the University of Southern California who specializes in LGBT issues. — Mark Thiessen, The Seattle Times, "Anchorage voters are first in U.S. to defeat ‘bathroom bill’," 12 Apr. 2018 Both bring formidable résumés to voters in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community this fall. — Vivian Wang, New York Times, "At Pride Parade, Few Paid Attention to the Candidates," 24 June 2018 And the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey found that 8 percent of high school students identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. — Guy Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Froedtert Health and Medical College of Wisconsin to open clinic that focuses on LGBTQ community," 8 June 2018 Lawmakers soon added language preventing RFRA from being used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers. — Mark Alesia, Indianapolis Star, "How the Supreme Court bakery case could impact the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 'fix'," 4 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and lesbians have discovered discriminatory comments left on receipts too. — Nadra Nittle, Vox, "Racial slurs and fat-shaming insults keep popping up on receipts. Is Trump worsening the trend?," 29 Oct. 2018 Some people think that Rose should make way for other people who look like her to join the ranks of major TV shows and movie casts: Imagine the hubbub when Hollywood discovers there are two, even three more lesbians other than Ruby Rose. — Megan Lasher, Seventeen, "Ruby Rose Will Play The First Ever Lesbian "Batwoman" and People Have FEELINGS," 8 Aug. 2018 An article by a Malaysian newspaper on how to identify lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people has sparked outrage on social media, as the country grapples with the growing influence of religious hardliners. — NBC News, "Malaysian newspaper's how-to-spot-a-gay checklist sparks outrage," 13 Feb. 2018 But Combs was a leading opponent of the vote last February by the Jackson City Council to enact a banning discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals. — Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Appointee to Civil Rights Commission unapologetic, says gays aren't disadvantaged," 4 Feb. 2018 The Connecticut Department of Children and Families’ new outreach campaign is one of a handful of efforts by state and city governments across the U.S. to encourage gays and lesbians to consider becoming adoptive or foster parents. — NBC News, "Connecticut recruiting LGBTQ families to adopt, foster kids," 18 May 2018 Among the 2017 films that include LGBTQ characters, gay men were most present (64%) followed by lesbians (36%) and bisexuals (14%). — Tre'vell Anderson, latimes.com, "GLAAD's report on LGBTQ representation in 2017 films finds inclusion trending down," 22 May 2018 In this climate of hatred toward anyone who does not fit our version of the norm, gays, lesbians, transgender persons and others have been swept up in the storm of intolerance that is pounding down on our country. — Dahleen Glanton, chicagotribune.com, "Intolerance toward gays has softened, but it persists," 14 May 2018 Only 19 states — mostly Democratic strongholds — offer comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people. — David Crary, chicagotribune.com, "Bills to curtail LGBT rights are failing in state legislatures," 17 Apr. 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about lesbian
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Where On Earth Does "Bikini" Come From?
Where On Earth Does "Bikini" Come From?
Top 10 Words from Place Names
Statistics for lesbian
Last Updated
13 Nov 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for lesbian
The first known use of lesbian was in 1567
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for lesbian
lesbian
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of lesbian
: a woman who is sexually attracted to other women : a female homosexual
See the full definition for lesbian in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lesbian
adjective
\
Medical Definition of lesbian
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to homosexuality between females
lesbian
nounMedical Definition of lesbian (Entry 2 of 2)
: a female homosexual
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on lesbian
What made you want to look up lesbian? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Vocab Quiz
-
- Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share lesbian
Resources for lesbian