la·dy
| \ ˈlā-dē
\
\
plural ladies
Definition of lady
1a
: a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superior
b
: a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover
3a
: a woman of superior social position
b
: a woman of refinement and gentle manners
4a
: wife
b
: girlfriend, mistress
5a
: any of various titled women in Great Britain
—used as the customary title of (1) a marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness or (2) the wife of a knight, baronet, member of the peerage, or one having the courtesy title of lord and used as a courtesy title for the daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl
b
: a woman who is a member of an order of knighthood — compare dame
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of lady in a Sentence
Her mother was always telling her to act like a lady.
He bumped into some lady walking to the bus stop.
He helped a little old lady cross the street.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead plant shade-tolerant perennial geranium, lady’s mantle, hellebore, bleeding heart, coral bell, hydrangea, begonia, annual lobelia, astilbe, and Japanese anemone. — Boston.com Real Estate, "Ask the Gardener: Tips for ridding your lawn of creeping Charlie," 21 Aug. 2019 This lovely lady left her own shopping and helped me search the store high and low. — Sainted & Tainted Writers, Twin Cities, "Sainted: The wonderful group of friends Jim has made at the Hudson Arby’s," 27 July 2019 Many young ladies caught the bug; so too did Charles Dickens. — 1843, "Stick ‘em up! A surprising history of collage," 24 July 2019 No greater responsibility in my life than to be daddy to these 6 beautiful little ladies. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Here's How Much the Adam and Danielle Busby Actually Make on TLC's 'OutDaughtered'," 24 July 2019 Some ladies, and young girls, sure did try and go speak up. — Michelle Theriault Boots, ProPublica, "“No More Silence”: Her Kidnapping, Sexual Assault and Murder Stunned a Town, and Started a Movement," 4 June 2019 Another young lady in the 11 and 12-year-old division saw Seals swimmer Avery Kight give herself at least two reasons to compete in Texas City. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Seals swimmers begin clinching trips to Champ Meet after strong season opener," 3 June 2019 This lucky lady was taken to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center where she’ll be kept safe from Fernandina’s erratic lava flows and looming Galápagos hawks. — Caitlin Etherton, National Geographic, "See 8 animal species that came back from the dead," 1 Mar. 2019 Not to mention the freedom for women to travel independently, something not done even during the height of the Grand Tour craze, when a lady of privilege had to be accompanied by a companion such as a benevolent aunt. — Kinsey Gidick, Washington Post, "Some travelers are dressing the part when they visit historic locations," 16 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lady.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for lady
lady
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lady
: a woman who behaves in a polite way
: a woman of high social position
informal
: a man's girlfriend
See the full definition for lady in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lady
noun
la·dy
| \ ˈlā-dē
\
\
plural ladies
Kids Definition of lady
1
: a woman of high social position
2
: a woman or girl who behaves in a polite way
3
: woman sense 1
The lady behind me was first.
4
: wife
5
: a British noblewoman
—used as a title Lady Jane Grey
Keep scrolling for more