lesbian

American  

[lez-bee-uhn] / ˈlɛz bi ən /

noun

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

• lesbianism noun

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

Aderonke Apata, who founded the African Rainbow Family charity, was granted asylum in the UK because she is a lesbian and could have faced the death penalty in Nigeria.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Some have travelled from as far as South Wales, Birmingham and Oxford to attend a meeting organised by Worcester LGBT, which describes itself as a support group for gay and lesbian asylum seekers.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

A young mother at this points, she leaves her daughter, SaraLee, in the care of her family while she finds work and a stabilizing lesbian relationship in Anchorage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Yet her reasons were as much political as personal, stemming from an urge to document her life as a newly out lesbian in the 1970s, when such representation was vanishingly rare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

“I grew up with gay parents, and I’ve always known I like girls, so I just assumed I was a lesbian, you know?”

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone