first lady

American  

[furst leee-dee] / ˈfɜrst ˈlei di /

noun

plural

first ladies

1. Often First Lady the wife of the U.S. president, or the wife of a current governor or mayor.

2. Often First Lady the wife of the head of any country.

   the First Lady of Brazil.

3. the foremost woman in any art, profession, or the like.

   Helen Hayes, the first lady of American theater.

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first lady British  

noun

1. (in the US) the wife or official hostess of a chief executive, esp of a state governor or a president

2. a woman considered to be at the top of her profession or art

   the first lady of jazz

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Etymology

Origin of first lady

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Reporters for mainstream and right-wing outlets alike admitted they had no idea why the first lady chose that particular moment to go on the record about her relationship with the deceased financier.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

The first lady also called for a congressional hearing for victims.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But she also challenged the first lady to follow her words with actions.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

In it, the first lady complimented Maxwell on a recent profile of Epstein that had appeared in New York magazine and invites her to call her when she is back in New York.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

No one realized that the bite of an infected mosquito had sickened the first lady.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow