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  lesbian
• Lesbian
  Lesbian

  noun

  a native or inhabitant of Lesbos

lesbian

American  

[lez-bee-uhn] / ˈlɛz bi ən /

noun

• lesbians
  plural

1. 1. a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women; a gay woman.

   2. a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to other women; a gay woman.

2. Lesbian, an inhabitant of the island of Lesbos.

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adjective

1. 1. of, relating to, or being a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of her own sex or gender.

   2. of, relating to, or being a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to people of her own sex or gender.

2. Sometimes Lesbian erotic; sensual

3. Lesbian, of or relating to Lesbos.

Lesbian ¹ British  

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Lesbos

2. the Aeolic dialect of Ancient Greek spoken in Lesbos

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adjective

1. of or relating to Lesbos

2. of or relating to the poetry of Lesbos, esp that of Sappho

lesbian ² British  

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

1. a female homosexual

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adjective

1. of or characteristic of lesbians

lesbian Cultural  

1. A homosexual woman. (See also gay.)

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Usage

What's the difference between lesbian and Sapphic? See gay ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lesbianism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lesbians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lesbian

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin Lesbi(us) “Lesbian” (from Greek Lésbios, equivalent to Lésb(os) “Lesbos” ( see Lesbos) + -ios adjective suffix) + -an; lesbian defs. 1, 3 allude to the poet Sappho of Lesbos, whose verse deals largely with her emotional relationships with other women

Explanation

A lesbian is a woman who is attracted to other women. Two married women are in a lesbian relationship. This is a word for women who are homosexual. Though homosexual women are often called gay, it's more common to call them lesbians. Lesbians are sexually attracted to other women. You can also use this word as an adjective. For example, a gay female director is a lesbian film maker. There could also be a book of lesbian fiction. This word comes from the name of the island of Lesbos, whose famous poet Sappho was believed to be a lesbian.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lesbian Lesbian lesbians

To the best of their knowledge, they are the only openly lesbian and gay direct descendants of Jefferson and Hemings.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Six years ago, the transgender-rights movement won a landmark victory when the high court ruled that the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition on sex discrimination in the workplace extends to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

AI "allows creators to produce stories independently and share them instantly", said Camallere, a 34-year-old lesbian who used several cutting-edge image generators to make "Featherweight".

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Amanda Nunes, the greatest female MMA fighter of all time, is an out lesbian from Brazil.

From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026

After a while this lesbian hippie chick tapped me on the shoulder and held out a little kid drum.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Lesbian and Gay History and Muslim Masculinities, absorbing everything my instructors had to say about “queerness”—until I learned what they actually meant by the term.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

Lesbian groups - protected under "sexual orientation" in the 2010 Act - also say it could affect their ability to have exclusive clubs.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2024

In 2014, she won the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s Vanguard Award, for those who promote LGBTQ+ issues.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

Lesbian businesses are great for the queer women’s community, but making them profitable is a different matter.

From Slate ● May 28, 2024

When the Lesbian and her girl friend saw me, they helped me to a bed; I fell across it and passed out.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Grace is now 34 and runs a charity, the Uganda Minority Shelters Consortium, which provides safe housing to gay men and lesbians across Uganda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

Hudson Williams, the 24-year-old actor who plays hockey player Shane Hollander in “Heated Rivalry,” has amassed an unexpected fanbase: lesbians on the internet.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026

Reformatories were institutions where girls and young women who refused to conform to the Franco regime's Catholic values were detained - single mothers, girls with boyfriends, lesbians.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025

Although Britain began decriminalising homosexuality for men in 1967, a ban on gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people serving in the military lasted until 2000.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

A number of these women are lesbians, newly declared or changing over.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood