Coming Out Definition & Meaning

Definition

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms coming out American [kuhm-ing-out] / ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt / Or coming-out

noun

1. a debut into society, especially a formal debut by a debutante.

2. one's acknowledgment and public disclosure of a sexual orientation or gender identity that does not conform to socially defined norms.

   How did your parents respond to your coming out?

3. an acknowledgment of a surprising interest or hobby, or an unexpected identification as part of a fandom, a supporter of a particular political party, etc.

Etymology

Origin of coming out

First recorded in 1805–15; noun use of verb phrase come out; -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And then the amount of individuals that we have coming out of area, it’s also an opportunity to show a nod to a lot of the Bay Area cultures and icons that we have.”

From Los Angeles Times

All of this is easy to miss in the topline data coming out of the agency given that regional offices are still closing cases, largely in line with recent years.

From Salon

He described “sister dreamer” as the “first tangible installation at this scale of the work coming out of this period.”

From Los Angeles Times

The quantity of 400 million barrels, the largest reserves distribution in history, represents roughly 20 days of supply coming out of the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal

“With very mixed, rambling and often incoherent messages still coming out of Washington, we would suggest that this is still no time for complacency,” First Abu Dhabi Bank analysts said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.