second lady

American

[sek-uhnd ley-dee] / ˈsɛk ənd ˈleɪ di /

noun

plural

second ladies

Often Second Lady the wife of the U.S. vice president, or the wife of a current state or local official ranking immediately below the governor or mayor.

Pennsylvania's Second Lady.
Often Second Lady the wife of the second-ranking government official of any country.

the second lady of Ghana.

Etymology

Origin of second lady

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

He hobnobbed in New York City with Eric Trump and Mehta and snapped a photograph at a conference on U.S.-India relations in Washington with the second lady, Usha Vance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Despite McCain’s best efforts to talk up how “excited” she is to see a “modern” woman in the role of second lady, Vance ended up talking about how much she missed her old life.

From Salon • Aug. 11, 2025

The political views of America’s second lady are something of a well-kept mystery.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

Is it a sign of a more stylised image to come as Vance takes her place as the second lady?

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025

Suddenly the second lady wrapped her arms tightly around me.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023