les·bi·an
ˈlez-bē-ən 
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
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
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Today, there is sustained pressure on the APA to discard the gender dysphoria diagnosis and, just as with gay and lesbian people, totally depathologize trans people in the eyes of psychiatry.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Etcetera, a gay and lesbian magazine in Atlanta, reported that between 1984 and 1986, at least 18 gay men died at the hands of unidentified perpetrators.
—Longreads, 4 Apr. 2024
In addition to Ace, one year after her daughter Max, 20, came out as bi, her younger daughter Kat, 17, came out as lesbian.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Annette Bening, who has been married to actor Warren Beatty for more than 30 years, was nominated in the best actress category for her portrayal of the outspoken lesbian swimmer.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Just 32 lesbian bars now exist in the United States, according to the Lesbian Bar Project, a campaign that aims to support and preserve lesbian bars.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The character has also come under fire for reasons that lie outside of popular culture, as frustration has increased over the minimization of the role of women, both straight and lesbian, in the struggles and movements that have defined the past 60 years of gay history.
—Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
The shift has been from worrying about the technique, in itself, to worrying about who’s using it: gay couples using it, lesbian couples using it, single people using it with egg or sperm donation.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Research over the last decade has found that lesbians have more orgasms than straight women, but questions remained as to why.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, California Republicans, hoping to exploit a backlash against the nascent gay rights movement, placed Proposition 6 on the ballot: a proposal to bar gay men and lesbians from working in public schools.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Nyad, who is an out lesbian, has written four books, including a 2016 memoir titled Find a Way that detailed her reasoning for unretiring to have a fifth try at the odyssey.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024
In the offbeat comedy, lesbians Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Jamie (Margaret Qualley) embark on a road trip down South.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
In the original film, Janis (played by Lizzy Caplan) was rumored to be a lesbian and was the target of a homophobic slur, though her sexuality was never clarified.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
As if that wasn’t inclusive enough, Rachel’s sister was a pregnant lesbian, married to another lesbian, who had one child already.
—Haley Strack, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023
The movie looks to be a throwback road-trip-crime-comedy about two lesbians and best friends (Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) who accidentally rent a car intended for some criminals, eventually discovering a mysterious case in the trunk.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Gay and lesbian Americans have moved into the cultural and social mainstream.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Today, there is sustained pressure on the APA to discard the gender dysphoria diagnosis and, just as with gay and lesbian people, totally depathologize trans people in the eyes of psychiatry.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Etcetera, a gay and lesbian magazine in Atlanta, reported that between 1984 and 1986, at least 18 gay men died at the hands of unidentified perpetrators.
—Longreads, 4 Apr. 2024
In addition to Ace, one year after her daughter Max, 20, came out as bi, her younger daughter Kat, 17, came out as lesbian.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Annette Bening, who has been married to actor Warren Beatty for more than 30 years, was nominated in the best actress category for her portrayal of the outspoken lesbian swimmer.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2024
Just 32 lesbian bars now exist in the United States, according to the Lesbian Bar Project, a campaign that aims to support and preserve lesbian bars.
—Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
The character has also come under fire for reasons that lie outside of popular culture, as frustration has increased over the minimization of the role of women, both straight and lesbian, in the struggles and movements that have defined the past 60 years of gay history.
—Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
The shift has been from worrying about the technique, in itself, to worrying about who’s using it: gay couples using it, lesbian couples using it, single people using it with egg or sperm donation.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
But instituting these local protections could be an uphill battle, said Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat who is a lesbian.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Research over the last decade has found that lesbians have more orgasms than straight women, but questions remained as to why.
—Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Two years later, California Republicans, hoping to exploit a backlash against the nascent gay rights movement, placed Proposition 6 on the ballot: a proposal to bar gay men and lesbians from working in public schools.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Nyad, who is an out lesbian, has written four books, including a 2016 memoir titled Find a Way that detailed her reasoning for unretiring to have a fifth try at the odyssey.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024
In the offbeat comedy, lesbians Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Jamie (Margaret Qualley) embark on a road trip down South.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
In the original film, Janis (played by Lizzy Caplan) was rumored to be a lesbian and was the target of a homophobic slur, though her sexuality was never clarified.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
As if that wasn’t inclusive enough, Rachel’s sister was a pregnant lesbian, married to another lesbian, who had one child already.
—Haley Strack, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023
The movie looks to be a throwback road-trip-crime-comedy about two lesbians and best friends (Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan) who accidentally rent a car intended for some criminals, eventually discovering a mysterious case in the trunk.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lesbian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lesbian
Cite this Entry
“Lesbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lesbian
1 of 2 adjective
les·bi·an
ˈlez-bē-ən
: 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share