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
Hope Florida, the First Lady’s signature initiative, appears disorganized at best, with poor planning, incomplete records and no clear operational transparency.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
At least 27 people, including children and counselors, died at a generations-old, all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic, where former First Lady Barbara Bush was once a counselor.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
King Charles is set to host the U.S. president and First Lady Melania Trump from Sept. 17-19, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on July 14.
—Brendan Rascius
july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee announced the winners of the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for First Lady
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
At least 27 people, including children and counselors, died at a generations-old, all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic, where former First Lady Barbara Bush was once a counselor.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
King Charles is set to host the U.S. president and First Lady Melania Trump from Sept. 17-19, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on July 14.
—Brendan Rascius
july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee announced the winners of the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for First Lady
Cite this Entry
“First Lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/First%20Lady. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share