coming out

American

[kuhm-ing-out] / ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt /

Or coming-out

noun

a debut into society, especially a formal debut by a debutante.
one's acknowledgment and public disclosure of a sexual orientation or gender identity that does not conform to socially defined norms.

How did your parents respond to your coming out?
an acknowledgment of a surprising interest or hobby, or an unexpected identification as part of a fandom, a supporter of a particular political party, etc.

Etymology

Origin of coming out

First recorded in 1805–15; noun use of verb phrase come out; see -ing ¹

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.

SINGAPORE—The Trump administration announced criminal charges, sanctions and multimillion-dollar rewards aimed at combating online scams coming out of Southeast Asia and targeting Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

“Since then, the only two others were coming out of Covid and the tariff-tantrum,” he writes.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Meanwhile, the Lakers showed some seriously good stuff early, coming out firing in the first quarter, scoring on their first three shots, eight of their first nine, and eventually 16 of their first 20.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

After coming out fighting on the eve of this game, declaring his fire was "burning very strongly", Howe looked glassy-eyed in his news conference following this latest defeat.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The person coming out of the trees was dressed in armor, her golden hair braided around the crown of her head.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

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