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In Japan, a geisha is a member of a professional class of women whose occupation is to entertain men. She must be adept at singing, dancing, and playing the samisen (a three-stringed musical instrument), in addition to being skilled at making conversation. The geisha system is thought to have emerged in the 17th century to provide a class of well-trained entertainers set apart from courtesans and prostitutes: though geisha sometimes had sexual relationships with clients, they were supposed to entertain primarily through their accomplishments. The numbers of geisha have declined from some 80,000 in the 1920s to a few thousand at present, almost all confined to Tokyo and Kyoto, where they are patronized by only the wealthiest businessmen and most influential politicians.
Examples of geisha in a Sentence
Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
The writer, Arthur Golden, focused on the story of a young geisha selling her virginity, which geishas told Yu was not common practice.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
There’s an unnerving video installation of the wooden head of a smiling geisha that splits open to reveal horns and a massive set of pointed teeth.
—Katherine Larson
july 16, Literary Hub, 16 July 2025
The lovely series follows two best friends who move to the Gion district in Kyoto to train to become geishas.
—Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appétit, 1 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Geisha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geisha. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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geisha
noun
Japanese, from gei "art" and -sha "person"
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