girlfriend

American  

[gurl-frend] / ˈgɜrlˌfrɛnd /

Or girl friend

noun

1. a frequent or favorite female companion; sweetheart.

2. a female friend.

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girlfriend British  

/ ˈɡɜːlˌfrɛnd /

noun

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

2. any female friend

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Etymology

Origin of girlfriend

First recorded in 1855–60; girl + friend

Compare meaning

How does girlfriend compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• significant other vs. girlfriend

Example Sentences

Those charges stemmed from a dispute involving his girlfriend at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

Carr recalled that his former girlfriend chose the military, like others from their high school, for the benefits and career path it offered.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 2011, after his breakup with Ms. Lange, he wrote: “My myriad girlfriends are all somehow disappointing. My only solace seems to be writing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"Once you have someone with a similar set of values, boyfriend or girlfriend, no matter how you meet, that's a really good basis for any relationship," said Alex.

From BBC

His predecessor, Buchanan, was ousted after he had helped arrange a deal to sell his girlfriend’s coffee products at Kohl’s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• companion
• friend
• partner
• sweetheart