# lady

/ˈɫeɪdi/ (US) · /lˈeɪdi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lady
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. polite word for a woman

noun · CEFR A2

a polite way to talk about or address a woman.

For teachers: a polite or formal referent for an adult female human, often used to show respect.

- The young lady at the front desk helped me find my room.
- The elderly lady living in the apartment upstairs has resided in this neighborhood for over fifty years.

### 2. aristocratic title

noun · CEFR B1 · British English · Formal

a formal title for a woman of high social rank, like the wife of a lord.

For teachers: a formal title of nobility in the United Kingdom, used by peeresses or the daughters of high-ranking peers.

- Lady Grantham hosted a large dinner party at the estate.
- As the daughter of an earl, she was entitled to use the prefix Lady before her given name according to traditional British protocol.

### 3. female partner

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

an informal way to talk about your wife or girlfriend.

For teachers: an informal or colloquial referent for a wife, girlfriend, or female romantic partner.

- I need to check with my lady before I agree to go on the trip.
- He introduced her as his lady to the rest of the group during the casual weekend gathering.

### 4. polite address to a group

noun · CEFR A2

a polite way to speak to a group of women.

For teachers: a collective form of address used when speaking to a group of women, typically in the plural.

- Good evening, ladies, may I take your drink orders now?
- The speaker began the seminar by addressing the ladies in the front row, thanking them for their early arrival.

### 5. five-pound note

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Slang

a slang term for a five-pound note in the UK.

For teachers: a slang term for a five-pound note, derived from the rhyming slang 'Lady Godiva' for 'fiver'.

- Can you lend me a lady until I get to the cash machine?
- He realized he only had a lady in his wallet, which wasn't enough to cover the entire round of drinks at the pub.

### 6. playing card

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

another name for the queen in a deck of cards.

For teachers: a colloquial term for the queen in a standard deck of playing cards.

- I needed the lady of hearts to win the game, but I drew an ace.
- The poker player revealed a pair of ladies, securing the pot against his opponent's lower cards.

## Examples

- The lady at the front desk helped me find my room.
- The host greeted every lady in the room with a polite nod before the dinner service began.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.