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Synonyms

young lady

American  

noun

  1. a young, usually unmarried woman of refinement, grace, etc.

  2. any young woman.

  3. a girlfriend; sweetheart; fiancée.

young lady British  

noun

  1. a girlfriend; sweetheart

"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 young lady

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

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 young lady is incredibly brave to come forward to report,” said Deputy Dist.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

"All I’m saying is that a young lady, a 10-year-old-girl, 9-year-old girl, 15-year-old-girl, doesn’t need 37 dolls," he said, not knowing that high schoolers don't usually play with dolls.

From Salon • May 7, 2025

I had it made by a young lady named Glittah Gal.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2025

Speaking outside court after Wellings was convicted on Monday, Angela Dawes said she hoped "no other young lady or child" would have to go through what happened to her daughter.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

Dunstan shook his head, as if to clear it of a dream, and turned back to the young lady.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.