noun
girlfriend
GURLF-rehnd
noun
1
A woman in an ongoing, unmarried romantic relationship with someone.
"He's been dating the same girlfriend for three years."
"She brought her girlfriend to the wedding."
2
A close female friend.
"She spent Saturday shopping with her girlfriends."
How to Use Girlfriend
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA female romantic partner, or (informally, especially among women) a close female friend.
Common pairings
his girlfriend
girlfriends night out
ex-girlfriend
Word Forms
girlfriended past tense, girlfriends plural, girlfriends singular
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He's been dating the same _____ for three years.
Etymology
A straightforward compound of girl + friend, formed in English.