First Lady
noun
variants
or first lady
plural First Ladies or first ladies
1
: the wife or female partner of the chief executive of a country or jurisdiction
It is a reminder of just how peculiar the role of First Lady is in American public life. She has a job with no salary, a platform with no power, an East Wing filled with staff but no budget.—
Jonathan Van Meter
Jonathan Van MeterAs a supermodel, singer-songwriter, and former first lady of France, no one has had a career quite like Carla Bruni. Since her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, left office in 2012, Bruni has focused on her music.—Janelle Okwodu
Janelle Okwodu
also
: someone who is not the wife or female partner of a chief executive but who fulfills the public duties of a First Lady
Unique among First Ladies, Harriet Lane acted as hostess for the only President who never married: James Buchanan, her favorite uncle and her guardian after she was orphaned at the age of eleven. —Allida Black
Allida Black 2
: the leading woman of an art or profession
Back before Mobb Deep, before the whole Juice Crew, the first MC to blow up big out of the Bridge was hip hop's universally recognized First Lady, Roxanne Shanté.—Sacha Jenkins
Sacha JenkinsCarolyn Wells is the first lady of barbecue—alongside her late husband Gary Wells and friend Rick Welch, the three founded the Kansas City Barbeque Society in 1986.—Damian Dominguez
Damian DominguezExamples of First Lady in a Sentence
The President and the First Lady attended the concert.
the first lady of American dance
Recent Examples on the Web
Key Facts Barron Trump, 18 and the only child of Trump and his third wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, has enrolled in New York University’s Stern School of Business for his freshman year.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set to deliver speeches in primetime.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 19 Aug. 2024
The Former First Lady’s influence extends beyond her endorsement.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 18 Aug. 2024
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, a Democratic source tells Axios.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 18 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for First Lady 
Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set to deliver speeches in primetime.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 19 Aug. 2024
The Former First Lady’s influence extends beyond her endorsement.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 18 Aug. 2024
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, a Democratic source tells Axios.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 18 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for First Lady
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'First Lady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near First Lady
Cite this Entry
“First Lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/First%20Lady. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share