first lady

American  

[furst leee-dee] / ˈfɜrst ˈlei di /

noun

• first ladies
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• first ladies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of first lady

First recorded in 1850–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first lady

Rather than reassured, they will also be rightly skeptical of the first lady who continues to stand by his side.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Sri Lanka's former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been arrested over allegations that a charity she is linked to misused donations raised for a children's hospital.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro won a seat in the upper house of Congress.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Trump, in a tuxedo, and the first lady, in black formal pants and a white shirt with an oversize white bow, welcomed the Chinese leader and his wife Peng Liyuan, who wore a red gown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

An overflow audience of more than five thousand people attended the ceremony and watched Anderson receive the prestigious medal from the hands of the first lady.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

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