First lady

Egyptian First Lady Jehan Sadat receiving American counterpart Rosalynn Carter in Cairo, March 8, 1979
A group of first ladies assemble in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, September 22, 2008
First ladies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 25, 2009

First Lady or First Gentleman is an unofficial title usually used for the spouse, and occasionally used for the offspring or other relative, of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive.[1][2][3] The term is also used to describe a person seen to be at the top of her profession or art.[4]

The title has also been used for the spouse of a head of government who is not also head of state.[5][6][7][8] It has also been used to refer to the spouses of the leaders of administrative divisions within a country.[9] The title is often used for the wives of Christian pastors in denominations where married clergy are the norm.[10]

  1. ^ First Lady, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, retrieved December 30, 2014
  2. ^ First Lady, Oxford Dictionaries, retrieved December 30, 2014
  3. ^ Foreman, Amanda (2015-05-28). "The First Ladies and Their Predecessors". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  4. ^ First Lady, Collins English Dictionary, retrieved December 30, 2014
  5. ^ McGuirk, Rod (May 2, 2018). "Australian first lady 'flattered' by 'delicious' description". Associated Press. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Visentin, Lisa (August 26, 2018). "Jenny Morrison, Australia's new first lady". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Step forward Fionnuala -- Taoiseach's wife and his perfect partner as he runs country - Herald.ie".
  8. ^ Lin, Yijun (September 19, 2021). "【第一配偶】最會賺錢第一夫人:何晶將從新加坡淡馬錫退休 年薪至今仍是謎" ['First Spouse'- The most moneymaking First Lady: Ho Ching set to retire from Temasek (Holdings). Her annual salary is still a mystery]. United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "About the Governor". Governor Tony Evers. Government of Wisconsin. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Banks, Adelle M. (10 February 2007). "Pastors' Wives Move Beyond The Front Pew". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 October 2024.