coming out

or com·ing-out

[ kuhm-ing-out ]

/ ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt /

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See synonyms for coming out on Thesaurus.com

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.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of coming out

First recorded in 1805–15; noun use of verb phrase come out;see -ing¹

Words nearby coming out

coming, coming and going, have someone, comingle, Coming of Age in Samoa, coming or going, not know if one is, coming out, coming out of one's ears, comings and goings, “Coming Through the Rye”, COMINT, Comintern

How to use coming out in a sentence

While the 2008 Beijing Games are generally remembered as a coming out moment for a resurgent China, they too were clouded by human rights issues, including a crackdown on protests in Tibet than left dozens dead.
There Are Mounting Calls for a Boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Will It Be Effective?|Charlie Campbell / Shanghai|March 9, 2021|Time
It was framed as the first step of a coming out party for a supposedly confident Britain reengaging and readying for life after Europe.
The UK sounds a lot less bullish for Africa investment after Brexit and a pandemic|Dominic Dudley|January 22, 2021|Quartz
The Games were a coming out moment that helped define the city we know as Tokyo today.
Can Tokyo Safely Host the Olympic Games This Summer?|Charlie Campbell|January 12, 2021|Time
In his coming out message, Page mentioned his fear at being discriminated against because of his gender identity.
Elliot Page comes out as transgender, non-binary|Parker Purifoy|December 2, 2020|Washington Blade

Some might question, of course, if that’s really enough, and if the world really needs another coming out story.
‘Uncle Frank’ is a coming-out tale full of heart|John Paul King|November 30, 2020|Washington Blade
“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
David Greenberg at Rutgers University has a book coming out next year on political spin.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society|Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was a coming-out story of sorts told with self-effacing un-sentimentality.
The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As I was coming out, my sister [Valerie] tugged on me and said, ‘That’s the boy who kicked me off my bicycle.
Joe Biden: ‘I’ll Kill Your Son’|Olivia Nuzzi|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was coming out of a relationship and was in a fragile place himself.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’|Amy Grantham|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While I was watching over my shoulder, three or four sandeaters coming out of the back room shoved me aside to get at him.
Fee of the Frontier|Horace Brown Fyfe
He was coming out, like myself, to sniff the air; and I was not surprised, for its sweetness after the rain was intoxicating.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
A poor vendor of pamphlets and newspapers, coming out of a reading-room, was accused of selling books favorable to royalty.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
The stars are coming out one by one, and the floating lights have already hoisted their never-failing signals.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
On coming out his skin would be shining like ebony, and he would squeal with pleasure as I rubbed water down his back.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji