lesbian

1 of 2

adjective

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

2 of 2

noun

plural lesbians
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Some players are openly lesbian, and some are masculine-presenting. — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026 It is widely flown and otherwise displayed in parades and other public events by lesbian persons and their friends, families, and supporters. — Brian Duignan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
The Museum of Modern Art rejected her films because of their depictions of lesbian lovemaking, Hammer claimed in an archival recording included by O’Connor. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 All through the late ’90s and early aughts, I was called a lesbian producer. — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lesbian

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Adjective

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1732, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lesbian was in 1559

Browse Nearby Words

Lesage
lesbian
lesbianism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lesbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

lesbian

noun
les·​bi·​an
ˈlez-bē-ən
: a gay woman
lesbian adjective
lesbianism
-bē-ə-ˌniz-əm
noun

Medical Definition

lesbian

1 of 2 adjective
les·​bi·​an ˈlez-bē-ən How to pronounce lesbian (audio)
: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women
gay and lesbian adults
a lesbian relationship

lesbian

2 of 2 noun
: a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women : a gay woman

More from Merriam-Webster on lesbian

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lesbian

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All