coming out
Americannoun
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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?
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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.
"If you're not being careful to review the content that's coming out of those tools then it's very easy to have something misleading ending up being posted."
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The guy who accused her of having “blood coming out of her wherever,” nicknamed her “Crazy Megyn,” and encouraged his supporters to boycott her show?
From Slate • May 6, 2026
Stocks have gyrated on any ray of hope coming out of the Middle East, and that makes sense.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
“I don’t think we can say we’re just coming out of a bear market here,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
I hear fragments of statements coming out of Autumn’s mouth, glitching together like a ruined video file.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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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.