# girlfriend

Pronunciation: say "GURL-frend" US /ˈɡɝlfɹɛnd/, UK /ˈɡɜːlfɹɛnd/

## Noun

1. A woman who is someone's partner in a romantic relationship without being married.
   - Simple: A woman or girl that someone is dating but is not married to.
   - _Marco spent the holidays with his girlfriend's family upstate._
   - _They had been boyfriend and girlfriend for nearly two years before moving in together._
2. A woman or girl who is friends with another woman or girl.
   - Simple: A woman's or girl's female friend, not a romantic partner.
   - _Eleanor wrote to her girlfriends every week, sharing all the news from town._
   - _She invited a girlfriend over to help plan the wedding luncheon._
3. A familiar form of address for a close female friend, and also used affectionately among gay men.
   - Simple: A friendly word used to call a close female friend, also used among gay men.
   - _"Girlfriend, that color looks incredible on you," she said with a grin._
   - _"You go, girlfriend!" he called out from across the crowded bar._
4. Within gay male circles, a fellow gay man valued as a close platonic friend rather than as a romantic or sexual partner.
   - Simple: Among gay men, a male friend rather than someone they are dating.
   - _As a gay man, Tomás counted Andre among his oldest and dearest girlfriends._
   - _For years, Ray has been his go-to girlfriend for brunch and gossip._

## Origin

A compound formed from "girl" and "friend."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/girlfriend (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).