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A 'girlfriend' is a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship.

Contents

Scope

Synonyms

Notes and references

See also

Scope

The term is most commonly used to describe any female person who is in a romantic relationship with another person.
An older woman in such a non-marital relationship is sometimes described instead as a significant other or partner, especially if the two partners are living together. At times, since "girlfriend" and "partner" mean different things to different people, the distinctions between the terms are subjective, and which term is used in a relationship will ultimately be determined by personal preference.
When used by a girl or woman about another female in a non-sexual, non-romantic context, the 2-word form "girl friend" is usually used to avoid confusion with the romantic meaning.
Though nuanced, there is a significant difference between girlfriend and boyfriend, and girl friend and boy friend. In a strictly grammatical sense, a 'girlfriend' or boyfriend is an 'individual of significance' with whom one shares a relationship. A girl friend or 'boy friend', however, is simply a friend identified on the basis of 'gender.'

Synonyms

★ A female engaged in an extramarital relationship with a married person is frequently considered a "mistress".

★ Some terms of endearment directed to females, a romantic relationship is not required, are "darling", "sweetheart", "lover", etc.

★ Users of Internet slang often shorten ''girlfriend'' to the acronym ''gf''.^[1]

Notes and references

1. [1]

See also

★ Boyfriend

★ Courtship

★ Partner

★ Significant other