coming out

American

[kuhm-ing-out] / ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt /

Or coming-out

noun

a debut into society, especially a formal debut by a debutante.
one's acknowledgment and public disclosure of a sexual orientation or gender identity that does not conform to socially defined norms.

How did your parents respond to your coming out?
an acknowledgment of a surprising interest or hobby, or an unexpected identification as part of a fandom, a supporter of a particular political party, etc.

Etymology

Origin of coming out

First recorded in 1805–15; noun use of verb phrase come out; see -ing ¹

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.

See Examples For:

coming out

When demand for capital is growing, with highly rated corporate-bond issuance likely to hit a record in 2026 and more tech IPOs coming out, that demand for capital can also pressure interest rates higher.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Art dealer and presenter Philip Mould said: "What a wonderful result, I'm sure we're going to see more works by this pioneering woman artist in India coming out of the woodwork."

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

In recent years, the nonprofit A Step to Freedom has grown rapidly, collecting millions of dollars from the government to house and feed homeless people coming out of jail in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Super Micro Computer received more than $60 billion in new orders during the fourth quarter, giving it a record backlog coming out of the fiscal year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

James hopped in next to me, and I gave the driver directions to the end of our alley, so that Ba wouldn’t spot me coming out of a cab.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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