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Synonyms

girlfriend

American  
[gurl-frend] / ˈgɜrlˌfrɛnd /
Or girl friend

noun

  1. a frequent or favorite female companion; sweetheart.

  2. a female friend.


girlfriend British  
/ ˈɡɜːlˌfrɛnd /

noun

  1. a female friend with whom a man or boy is romantically or sexually involved; sweetheart

  2. any female friend

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of girlfriend

First recorded in 1855–60; girl + friend

Compare meaning

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Vocabulary lists containing girlfriend

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The flowers, the dog, my girlfriend singing to the ocean,” Faena said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

But, she says, back in the 1990s, “if you weren’t the hot girlfriend or the young wife, which I just wasn’t, there really was only police officer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

It sounds, from what you say in your letter, like your husband wants a girlfriend, not a wife.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

Mills-Smith fled Wales to his father's home in Suffolk, but he needed the help of his mother and girlfriend to pay for a coach ticket to London.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

That night, he called his girlfriend in California.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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