coming out

American  

[kuhm-ing-out] / ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt /

Or coming-out

noun

1. a debut into society, especially a formal debut by a debutante.

2. 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?

3. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of coming out

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

Example Sentences

"I've already been in floods of tears. There'll be more water coming out of me today than the mountain."

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

And as companies get better at collecting and analyzing personal data, they aren’t just gunning for the money coming out of your wallet — they’re controlling how much goes into it, too.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

UBS also sees Apple services, including music and iCloud, as positives for the business, with the ability to help the company weather higher input costs ahead of a possible foldable AAPphone coming out this fall.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

There was even a World Series star coming out of the bullpen, new cult hero Will Klein entering the game to the night’s loudest ovation and throwing a scoreless inning.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

It’s a little after eight o’clock on a brisk, crisp night inFebruary, so it’s already dark and the stars have started coming out to play.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein