First Lady

honorary title of the wife of a president or head of state

First Lady is an unofficial title used for the wife of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive.[1][2][3]

Some countries have a title, official or unofficial, that is or can be translated as first lady.[4] The title is not normally used for the wife of a head of government who is not also head of state.

First Gentleman is used where the head of state's spouse has been a man, such as the Philippines or Malta. While there has never been a male spouse of a U.S. President, "First Gentleman" is used in the United States for the husband of a governor.

First Spouse, a rare version of the title, can be used in either case where the spouse of a head of state is male or female. This term is used to promote gender equality and gender neutrality.

References

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  1. First Lady, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, retrieved 2014-12-30
  2. First Lady, Oxford Dictionaries Archived 2016-06-21 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2014-12-30
  3. Amanda Foreman, "Our First Ladies and Their Predecessors", Wall Street Journal, May 30–31, 2015, C11, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-first-ladies-and-their-predecessors-1432830990, retrieved 2015-5-30
  4. M., Design by Paul Andres Gomez. "'He asumido mi compromiso con la niñez de Colombia con toda la disposición de mi corazón', afirma la Primera Dama".