lady

noun

la·​dy ˈlā-dē How to pronounce lady (audio)
plural ladies
often attributive
1
a
: a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superior
b
: a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover
2
capitalized : virgin mary
usually used with Our
3
a
: a woman of superior social position
b
: a woman of refinement and gentle manners
c
: woman, female
often used in a courteous reference
show the lady to a seat
or usually in the plural in address
ladies and gentlemen
4
5
a
: 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 earl
b
: a woman who is a member of an order of knighthood compare dame

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 on the Web Our newspaper used to publish mugshots of people who had been arrested, and a lady was wearing that very same unique necklace in her arrest photo. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 Among the White House's guests, who joined first lady Jill Biden in the House gallery on Thursday, are IVF patients, gun control activists, civil rights advocates and recipients of student loan debt relief. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 The design was unveiled by First Lady Jill Biden, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of former President Gerald R. Ford and former First lady Betty Ford. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has declined an invitation to attend President Biden's State of the Union address, according to reports. Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2024 First lady Jill Biden visited Tucson last week in another sign of the state’s election-year significance. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 These rumors, which spread primarily in the American South, maintained that Black maids, cooks and other domestic workers were organizing to walk off the job at the first lady’s urging, leaving their white employers to do their own housework. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 This article has been updated to reflect that a White House official said seating arrangements for first lady Jill Biden’s State of the Union guests would be among the last matters finalized ahead of Thursday’s speech. Tyler Pager, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The first lady’s Saturday appearance in downtown Tucson, Ariz., offered a warning sign of the protests likely to greet the administration’s leading figures on the trail. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hlǣfdige, from hlāf bread + -dige (akin to dǣge kneader of bread) — more at loaf, dairy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lady was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lady

Cite this Entry

“Lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lady. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lady

noun
la·​dy ˈlād-ē How to pronounce lady (audio)
plural ladies
1
: a woman of property, rank, or authority
especially : one having a standing equivalent to that of a lord
used as a title
2
capitalized : virgin mary
usually used with Our
3
: a woman of high social position
4
5
Etymology

Old English hlæfdige, from hlāf "loaf of bread" and -dīge, a form of a root word meaning "to knead dough" — related to loaf, lord see Word History at lord

Word Origin
The word lady is nowadays generally used as a polite term for a woman. In the past, however, lady was used primarily for "a woman of a high social class." The Old English ancestor of lady was hlæfdige, which came from two other words. One was hlāf, meaning "loaf of bread." The other was -dīge, a form of a root word meaning "to knead dough." But the word hlæfdige was not used in Old English for an actual bread maker. It was used instead to refer to the woman in charge of maids and of a household. Only very rich and powerful women, members of the nobility, had maids and large households, so a lady was owed much respect. The title lady is still used in Great Britain for a woman who is a member of the nobility.

More from Merriam-Webster on lady

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