What does "lesbian" mean?
A homosexual woman, one who is exclusively sexually or romantically attracted to other women.
Lesbian
/ˈlɛz.bɪ.ən/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A homosexual woman, one who is exclusively sexually or romantically attracted to other women.
- Grammar: lesbian is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: gay woman, ac-dc, amazon, amphierotic.
- Useful contrasts: heterosexual, heterosexual woman, straight.
- Usage evidence: Sappho was a famous Lesbian poet.
How to use "lesbian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lesbian" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lesbian" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lesbian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lesbian" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lesbian" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gay woman" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lesbian", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A homosexual woman, one who is exclusively sexually or romantically attracted to other women.
"There have also been women who loved other women. These are the Lesbians or Tribades."
- 2 A native or inhabitant of Lesbos. countable
- 3 a resident of Lesbos wordnet
- 4 A female animal that performs courtship, pairing or mating behavior with other female animals. uncommon
"There was one recently that determined on an island off California 14 percent of the female sea gulls were lesbians (and we know that kind of thing would never go among Nantucket sea gulls)."
- 5 The variety of Aeolic Greek spoken on Lesbos from about 800 to 300 b.c., best known from the writings of Sappho and Alcaeus of Mytilene. uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a female homosexual wordnet
- 7 Alternative letter-case form of Lesbian (“native or inhabitant of Lesbos.”). alt-of, archaic
- 8 A sweet, mild wine made on Lesbos in ancient times. countable, historical, uncountable
"Our Saviour in the gospel preferreth old wine before new; & Aristotle liketh better of the wine of Lesbos, the the^([sic]) wine of Rhodes; he affirmeth both to be good, but the Lesbian the more pleasant, alluding vnder that parable to the successour of his schoole, and noting his choise rather of Theophrastus borne at Lesbos, then Menedemus at Rhodes."
- 9 Alternative letter-case form of lesbian (“gay woman”). alt-of, countable
Verb
- 1 To (cause to) take part in lesbian sex, or other lesbian activity. ambitransitive, informal, nonstandard
"That's the way I want to go – Lesbianed to death."
Adjective
- 1 Homosexual, gay; preferring exclusively women as romantic or sexual partners.
"Lesbian fans of the show were rooting for Jane and Amanda to get together."
- 2 Of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos.
"Within twenty-four hours of quitting the security of a Lesbian port, all the contrarieties I had experienced were to be exceeded by the horrors of a tremendous hurricane."
- 3 Homosexual, gay; preferring exclusively women as romantic or sexual partners.; Preferring primarily women as romantic or sexual partners. broadly
- 4 Of or pertaining to the Lesbian variety of Aeolic Greek.
- 5 Between two or more women; homosexual, gay.
"a lesbian relationship / marriage / kiss"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Alternative letter-case form of lesbian (“of women: gay”). alt-of
"Except two breeds—the stupid and the narrowly feline—all women have a touch of the Lesbian: an assertion all good non-analytic creatures refute with horror, but quite true: there is always the poignant intensive personal taste, the flair of inner-sex, in the tenderest friendships of women."
- 7 Intended for lesbians. especially
"We're going to a lesbian bar tonight."
- 8 Amatory; erotic. archaic
"Lesbian novels"
- 9 Alternative letter-case form of Lesbian (“of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos”). alt-of, archaic
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to or characterized by homosexual relations between woman wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Sappho was a famous Lesbian poet."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lesbian"?
Common synonyms include: gay woman, ac-dc, amazon, amphierotic, androgyne, auntie.
How do you use "lesbian" in a sentence?
Sappho was a famous Lesbian poet.
How do you pronounce "lesbian"?
Pronounced /ˈlɛz.bɪ.ən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Latin Lesbiana, from Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos) + Latin adjective suffix -iana; by reference to Sappho of Lesbos (whence also sapphist, sapphic), known for her sentimental poems about women. This sense of the word may have been borrowed from, or influenced by, the German cognate lesbisch, where it is found in medical literature from the 1830s.
Etymology 2
From Latin Lesbius (“Lesbian”) (for further etymology, see Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos)) + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus. The sense of “gay woman” is a reference to Sappho, a famous inhabitant of Lesbos and gay poet.