Girlfriend
Pronunciation
- IPA: /É¡É™ËlËŒfrÉ›nd/
- Hyphenation: girl + friend
Full definition of girlfriend
Noun
girlfriend
(plural girlfriends)- A female partner in a romantic relationship.Marc went to the park with his girlfriend and watched the sunset with her.
- A female friend.Mary always enjoyed hanging out with her girlfriend Jessica.
Synonyms
- (female friend) chickfriend slang
Usage notes
The term is used to describe any girl or woman in a romantic relationship with another person.
An adult woman in such a non-marital relationship is sometimes described instead as a significant other or partner, especially if the two partners are living together. Since girlfriend and partner mean different things to different people, the distinctions between the terms are subjective, and which term is used in a relationship will ultimately be determined by personal preference.
The use of girlfriend for a female non-romantic friend of another female is limited in geographic distribution and sometimes preferred by older generations of speakers.