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the lady's
Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

Alternative expressions(16)

The New York Times

the woman's

her

that woman's

the female's

women's

belonging to her

for her

her husband

one's

your mother

her work

jill

female colleague

female counterpart

bitch's

Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"So they weren't sure whether they were my mother's or the lady's in the next bed.

News & Media

BBC

"The Lady's not for turning", an allusion to Christopher Fry's creaky 1940s verse-drama, The Lady's Not For Burning, bears the marks of a script-writer's midnight desperation.

News & Media

The Guardian - Books

"The lady's not for turning".

News & Media

The New York Times

The lady's not going anywhere.

News & Media

The New York Times

— JENNIFER PRESTON "The lady's not for turning," Margaret Thatcher famously said in an early speech.

News & Media

The New York Times

"The lady's not for turning," Margaret Thatcher famously said in an early speech.

News & Media

The New York Times

One angry man grabbed the lady's arm — that's when I went into action.

News & Media

The Washington Post

The lady's headed west.

News & Media

The New York Times - Books

That was the lady's choice.

News & Media

The New York Times - Sports

The lady's immobility was incontestable.

News & Media

The New Yorker

The lady's tough.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "the lady's" with an apostrophe before the 's' for singular possession or when contracting 'lady is'.

Common error

Avoid using "the lady's" when referring to multiple women. For more than one lady, the correct possessive form is "the ladies'", with the apostrophe after the 's'.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

97%

Authority and reliability

4.9/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

In English, "the lady's" serves two primary grammatical functions. Most commonly, it is the possessive form of the singular noun "lady", indicating ownership or association (e.g., "the lady's dress"). Alternatively, it functions as a contraction of "the lady is" or "the lady has", common in colloquial or journalistic speech (e.g., "the lady's not for turning"). Ludwig examples demonstrate both uses across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

15%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Science

Wiki

Social Media

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "the lady's" is a highly frequent and versatile English expression found in elite news sources and academic literature. According to Ludwig AI data, it primarily functions as a singular possessive noun or a contraction for 'the lady is'. Its usage reflects a polite and neutral-to-formal register, common in publications like The New York Times and The New Yorker. Writers should be careful to distinguish the singular "the lady's" from the plural possessive "the ladies'" to ensure grammatical accuracy. Overall, it remains a staple of clear and respectful communication across diverse media.

More alternative expressions(10)

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the woman's

More common and biologically descriptive, often used in less formal or more modern settings.

this lady's

A more immediate demonstrative form of the possessive.

her

The possessive pronoun used when the subject has already been established.

the lady is

The non-contracted form used for emphasis or in very formal writing.

that woman's

Uses a demonstrative pronoun to point to a specific person at a distance.

the person's

A gender-neutral alternative that removes specific reference to the lady.

the female's

Highly formal or scientific, focusing on biological classification.

the girl's

Used when the subject is a child or in informal contexts for young adults.

the madam's

Extremely formal or used in specific service industry contexts.

the mistress's

An archaic or very specific term referring to a woman in a position of authority.

FAQs

What is the difference between "the lady's" and "the ladies'"?

The phrase "the lady's" is singular, referring to one person (e.g., the lady's hat), while ""the ladies'"" is plural, referring to something belonging to multiple women (e.g., the ladies' room).

When should I use "the lady's" instead of "the woman's"?

Use "the lady's" when you want to convey a sense of politeness, respect or a slightly more formal tone. Use "the woman's" for a more direct or neutral description.

Can "the lady's" mean "the lady is"?

Yes, in many contexts, especially in journalism or idiomatic speech, it acts as a contraction. A famous example is "the lady's not for turning", where it means "the lady is not".

What is a more formal way to say "the lady's"?

Depending on the context, you might use the non-contracted "the lady is" or a more specific title such as "the madam's" or "the subject's".

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Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Source & Trust

97%

Authority and reliability

4.9/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences:

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the lady'sGrammar usage guide and real-world examples

the lady's
Grammar usage guide and real-world examples