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

Inflected Forms

noun

• first ladies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of first lady

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

In 2023 French screen legend Catherine Deneuve starred in a film about her years as first lady, titled simply "Bernadette".

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Macron's wife Brigitte, the longest serving first lady since Bernadette and who has taken a high public profile during her husband's time in office, also paid tribute.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

The president lamented that the former first lady did not compliment his performance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Within months, Charmain was the wife of Eric Adusah, referred to as the "first lady" by members of his church.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

One of the phrases used to refer to Jerrie was "first lady astronaut."

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson