different between girlfriend vs paramour

English

Alternative forms

• girl friend, girl-friend

Etymology

girl +? friend

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /???lf??nd/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /????lf??nd/
• Hyphenation: girl?friend

Noun

girlfriend (plural girlfriends)

1. A female partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.

   Coordinate terms: boyfriend, fiancée, lover, partner, significant other, sweetheart, wife, lady friend
2. A female friend.

   Synonym: (slang) chickfriend

   Coordinate terms: buddy, friend, pal, BFF

Usage notes

• The term is used to refer to any girl or woman in a romantic relationship with another person.
• An adult woman in such a non-marital relationship is sometimes referred to instead as a significant other or partner, especially if the two partners are living together. Because 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.
• The use of girlfriend for a female non-romantic friend of another female is limited in geographic distribution and sometimes preferred by older generations of speakers.
• Sometimes used as a term of address among men, particularly gay men.

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Hindi: ??????????? (garlfre??)
• ? Japanese: ??????? (g?rufurendo)
• ? Korean: ???? (geolpeurendeu)
• ? Russian: ????????? (gjorlfr??nd)
• ? Urdu: ??? ?????? (garl fren?)

Translations

Anagrams

• friend girl, friendgirl

English

Alternative forms

• paramours

Etymology

From Middle English paramour, paramoure, peramour, paramur, from Old French par amor (“for love's sake”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pæ.??.m??/, /?pæ.??.m??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?pæ??m??/

  (Mary–marry–merry distinction)

  (Mary–marry–merry merger)

Noun

paramour (plural paramours)

1. (somewhat archaic) An illicit lover, either male or female.

   Synonyms: leman, mistress; see also Thesaurus:mistress
2. (obsolete) The Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ (when addressed by a person of the opposite sex).

Translations

Adverb

paramour (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, of loving, etc.) Passionately, out of sexual desire. [from 14^thc.]

   Synonyms: devotedly, passionately

   • For paramour I loved her fyrst ere thou.

Further reading

• paramour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “paramour”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.