A girl or woman with whom someone has a romantic or dating relationship.
Formed from *girl* + *friend*, originally meaning simply a female friend. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it began to mean a female romantic partner. The shift mirrors changes in dating culture and social relationships.
It’s easy to forget that ‘girlfriend’ once meant just a friend who happened to be a girl — a reminder that relationship labels are surprisingly recent. The word blurs lines between romance and friendship, which is exactly how many modern relationships feel.
“Girlfriend” emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often tied to courtship norms where women were framed in relation to men’s social and economic status. Over time it has also been used in heteronormative ways that sidelined same-sex relationships and nonbinary partners.
Use “girlfriend” only when the person’s self-identified gender and relationship label are known. When gender is unknown or mixed, use neutral terms like “partner” or “significant other.”
["partner","significant other","spouse"]
When discussing relationships, avoid defining women solely through their role as “someone’s girlfriend” and recognize their independent identities, work, and achievements.
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