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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

theyfriend en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • audio -
  • /ˈðeɪfɹɛnd/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (General-American) audio

Etymology

From they + friend, modelled after boyfriend and girlfriend.

Meanings

  1. (neologism) A non-binary partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.
    • "And I know as soon as I get in it'll be all 'Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend or a theyfriend?'" Olivia sighs. "And my high school squad is going to be even worse." 2022, Anna Meriano, “Just Tell Them You Play Soccer”, in Laura Silverman, editor, Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between, New York, N.Y.: Viking, →ISBN, page 196:
    • She'd never had a boyfriend or girlfriend or theyfriend, not in her entire life. 2018, Talia Hibbert, Wanna Bet? (Dirty British Romance; 2), [United Kingdom]: Nixon House, →ISBN:
    • Janithor is my non-binary theyfriend [title] […] so prwned^([sic]) 2021 October 21, Skeeter, “Janithor is my non-binary theyfriend”, in alt.slack (Usenet):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
theyfriends Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

boyfriend · girlfriend

Synonyms

enbyfriend · joyfriend

Translations (4)

pt namorade (non-binary partner in an unmarried romantic relationship) · fr copaine (non-binary partner in an unmarried romantic relationship) · fi kumppani (non-binary partner in an unmarried romantic relationship) · ko 그 친구 (non-binary partner in an unmarried romantic relationship)