What does LESBIAN mean?

Definitions for LESBIAN
ˈlɛz bi ənles·bian

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word LESBIAN.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. lesbian, tribade, gay womannoun

    a female homosexual

  2. Lesbianadjective

    a resident of Lesbos

  3. lesbian, sapphicadjective

    of or relating to or characterized by homosexual relations between woman

GCIDE

  1. Lesbianadjective

    Homosexual; -- applied to female homosexuals.

Wiktionary

  1. lesbiannoun

    A homosexual female, a female who is sexually or romantically attracted to other females.

  2. lesbianadjective

    Homosexual; preferring female romantic or sexual partners.

    She is lesbian.

  3. lesbianadjective

    Homosexual, specifically between two women.

  4. lesbianadjective

    Intended for lesbians.

    We're going to a lesbian bar tonight.

  5. Lesbiannoun

    An inhabitant of Lesbos

  6. Lesbiannoun

    A homosexual woman.

  7. Lesbianadjective

    Of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos.

    She is lesbian.

  8. Lesbianadjective

    (used of women) Homosexual.

  9. Etymology: From Lesbius + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus, -ana. The sense of ‘homosexual’ is a reference to Sappho, a famous Lesbian and lesbian poet.

Wikipedia

  1. Lesbian

    A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexuality or same-sex attraction. The concept of "lesbian" to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation evolved in the 20th century. Throughout history, women have not had the same freedom or independence as men to pursue homosexual relationships, but neither have they met the same harsh punishment as homosexual men in some societies. Instead, lesbian relationships have often been regarded as harmless, unless a participant attempts to assert privileges traditionally enjoyed by men. As a result, little in history was documented to give an accurate description of how female homosexuality was expressed. When early sexologists in the late 19th century began to categorize and describe homosexual behavior, hampered by a lack of knowledge about homosexuality or women's sexuality, they distinguished lesbians as women who did not adhere to female gender roles. They classified them as mentally ill—a designation which has been reversed since the late 20th century in the global scientific community. Women in homosexual relationships in Europe and the United States responded to the discrimination and repression either by hiding their personal lives, or accepting the label of outcast and creating a subculture and identity. Following World War II, during a period of social repression when governments actively persecuted homosexuals, women developed networks to socialize with and educate each other. Gaining greater economic and social freedom allowed them to determine how they could form relationships and families. With second-wave feminism and the growth of scholarship in women's history and sexuality in the late 20th century, the definition of lesbian broadened, leading to debate about the term's use. While research by Lisa M. Diamond identified sexual desire as the core component for defining lesbians, some women who engage in same-sex sexual activity may reject not only identifying as lesbians but as bisexual as well. Other women's self-identification as lesbian may not align with their sexual orientation or sexual behavior. Sexual identity is not necessarily the same as one's sexual orientation or sexual behavior, due to various reasons, such as the fear of identifying their sexual orientation in a homophobic setting. Portrayals of lesbians in the media suggest that society at large has been simultaneously intrigued and threatened by women who challenge feminine gender roles, as well as fascinated and appalled with women who are romantically involved with other women. Women who adopt a lesbian identity share experiences that form an outlook similar to an ethnic identity: as homosexuals, they are unified by the heterosexist discrimination and potential rejection they face from their families, friends, and others as a result of homophobia. As women, they face concerns separate from men. Lesbians may encounter distinct physical or mental health concerns arising from discrimination, prejudice, and minority stress. Political conditions and social attitudes also affect the formation of lesbian relationships and families in the open.

ChatGPT

  1. lesbian

    A lesbian is a woman who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to other women. The term is used to describe a woman's sexual orientation, in which her emotional, romantic, sexual, and affectional attractions are predominantly towards other women. The term is also sometimes used more broadly to refer to any female-identified individuals attracted to other female-identified individuals.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Lesbianadjective

    of or pertaining to the island anciently called Lesbos, now Mitylene, in the Grecian Archipelago

Wikidata

  1. Lesbian

    Lesbian is the term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic attraction between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an adjective, to describe characteristics of an object or activity related to female same-sex attraction. "Lesbian" as a concept, used to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation, is a 20th-century construct. Throughout history, women have not had the same freedom or independence to pursue homosexual relationships as men, but neither have they met the same harsh punishment as homosexual men in some societies. Instead, lesbian relationships have often been regarded as harmless and incomparable to heterosexual ones unless the participants attempted to assert privileges traditionally enjoyed by men. As a result, little in history has been documented to give an accurate description of how female homosexuality has been expressed. When early sexologists in the late 19th century began to categorize and describe homosexual behavior, hampered by a lack of knowledge about the female homosexuality or women's sexuality, they distinguished lesbians as women who did not adhere to female gender roles and incorrectly designated them mentally ill - a designation which has been reversed in the global scientific community.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Lesbian

    les′bi-an, adj. pertaining to the island of Lesbos in the Ægean Sea, and the adjoining part of the coast of Asia Minor, together forming Æolis, the home of a famous school of lyric poets, including Alcæus and Sappho: amatory, erotic.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for LESBIAN »

  1. ansible

  2. bilanes

How to pronounce LESBIAN?

How to say LESBIAN in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of LESBIAN in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of LESBIAN in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of LESBIAN in a Sentence

  1. Ellen DeGeneres:

    I never wanted to be the lesbian actress, i never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth.

  2. Bob Chapek:

    I called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary, and transgender kids and families.

  3. Barack Obama:

    He went out of his way to advise lesbian, gay and transgender students... and keep in mind, this was 1978, that took a lot of courage, a lot of confidences in who you are and what you stand for.

  4. Diana Abou Abbas:

    It's really significant that a corporation as huge as Crepaway and that has been present as part of Lebanese culture for a while acknowledges that even if you are a lesbian couple you are welcome to come to Crepaway.

  5. Thomas Mulcair:

    It's not dissimilar to what we see with the president of Russia, who uses a minority there, the lesbian, gay, bisexual community ... and he goes after them with great relish because he knows that it's going to resonate with a part of the population.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

LESBIAN#1#1151#10000

Translations for LESBIAN

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for LESBIAN »

Translation

Find a translation for the LESBIAN definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"LESBIAN." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/LESBIAN>.

Discuss these LESBIAN definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for LESBIAN? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    LESBIAN

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    directed outward; marked by interest in others or concerned with external reality
    A appellative
    B extroversive
    C occlusive
    D soft-witted

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for LESBIAN: