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Synonyms

girlfriend

American  
[gurl-frend] / ˈgɜrlˌfrɛnd /
Or girl friend

noun

  1. a frequent or favorite female companion; sweetheart.

  2. a female friend.

girlfriend British  
/ ˈɡɜːlˌfrɛnd /

noun

  1. a female friend with whom a man or boy is romantically or sexually involved; sweetheart

  2. any female friend

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of girlfriend

First recorded in 1855–60; girl + friend

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Vocabulary lists containing girlfriend

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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.

Not only do his friends have no idea he exists, but his girlfriend MJ -- played by Zendaya -- has a new love interest.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

I also felt he was more than fair to his girlfriend and her children, given that he gives them much more than they give him.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

In January, he married his longtime girlfriend at a ceremony in Mississippi and honeymooned in Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

In recent days, he’s been sharing his tent with his new girlfriend.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

She hadn’t smiled at him a lot since the day they’d kissed and then he’d told her he didn’t want a girlfriend.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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.