Girlfriend

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This article is about a female partner. For other uses, see Girlfriend (disambiguation).

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

1 Scope
2 Synonyms
3 Notes and references
4 See also

[edit] Scope

The term is most commonly used to describe any female person who is in a romantic relationship with another person.

Partners in such a non-marital relationship are 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 two-word form "girl friend" is sometimes used to avoid confusion with the sexual or 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.

[edit] 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", "babe" etc.
Users of Internet slang and sms slang often shorten girlfriend to the acronym gf.^[1]
Additionally, gender-indiscriminate terms also apply, e.g. lover, heartthrob, paramour, squeeze, sweetheart, true love and some more specific terms such as princess, wooer, and gender-neutral ones like date, escort, steady or suitor; furthermore, non-gender specific euphemisms such as admirer, companion.