Synonyms

coming out

American

[kuhm-ing-out] / ˈkʌm ɪŋˈaʊt /

Or coming-out

noun

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

People were not, however, coming out en masse to celebrate, according to social media.

From Barron's

"Roughly 90% of the dissolved iron coming out of the ice shelf cavity comes from deep waters and sediments outside the cavity, not from meltwater," Chinni said.

From Science Daily

"It felt like I had a needle through my back, and it was coming out my front, and I couldn't twist past it," she said.

From BBC

Glasnow pitched two-plus innings, retiring the first six batters before coming out after giving up a single to start the third inning.

From Los Angeles Times

With the younger ones, I have more flexibility in seeing what’s coming out, but also a lot more stress in that I can’t see the future that far out.

From The Wall Street Journal

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