Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Of or relating to homosexual relations between women: Describes something characterized by or involving romantic or sexual attraction between women.
   • Relating to lesbians as a group or identity: Pertaining to the culture, community, or experiences of women who are attracted to other women.

2. Noun:

   • A female homosexual: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other women.
   • (Historical/Geographical) A resident of Lesbos: An inhabitant of the Greek island of Lesbos. (This meaning is now rare in common usage and is typically specified as "a person from Lesbos" to avoid confusion.)

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • She is an active member of the lesbian community.
  • The film festival focuses on lesbian cinema.

• Noun:

  • She came out as a lesbian to her family.
  • The conference was attended by lesbians from across the country.

Advanced Usage

• "Lesbian" as an identity label: The term is used as a self-identifier for women whose primary attraction is to other women. It is considered a standard and respectful term.

  • She identifies as a lesbian.

• Compound adjectives: Used to describe specific aspects of culture or experience.

  • They discussed lesbian visibility in mainstream media.

Variants and Related Words

• Lesbianism (n): The state or quality of being a lesbian; homosexual relations or attraction between women.

  • The book explores themes of lesbianism and identity.

• Sapphic (adj): A literary or formal term relating to lesbianism, derived from Sappho, the ancient Greek poet from Lesbos.

  • The poetry has a distinctly Sapphic quality.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Homosexual (female), gay (when context specifies women), same-sex-loving (female).
• Noun: Gay woman, homosexual woman.

Related Phrases

• "To come out as a lesbian": To disclose one's lesbian identity to others.

  • She came out as a lesbian during her first year of college.

• "Lesbian relationship": A romantic or sexual partnership between two women.

  • They are in a committed lesbian relationship.

Notes on Usage

• The term "lesbian" is widely accepted as a standard, non-offensive identifier. It is both a noun and an adjective.
• The historical meaning ("resident of Lesbos") is largely archaic in everyday English and is usually avoided in modern contexts referring to sexual orientation to prevent ambiguity. The demonym is more clearly expressed as "a person from Lesbos" or "Lesbian" with a capital 'L' in specific historical/geographical contexts.

Adjective

1. of or relating to or characterized by homosexual relations between woman

Noun

1. a resident of Lesbos
2. a female homosexual