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

Excessive rainfall creating disease issues for beans limited the amount of cocoa coming out of West African ports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 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

Speaking at the Guildhall Square vigil, Amy's mother, Sharon Doherty thanked the people of Derry for coming out in her daughter's memory.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 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

The letters were coming out strange and blockish, neither English cursive nor the German-style Kurrent script I had been taught years ago by my tutor.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros