she

1 of 3

pronoun (1)

ˈshē How to pronounce she (audio)
1
: that female one who is neither speaker nor hearer
she is my wife
compare he, her, hers, it, they
2
—used to refer to one regarded as feminine (as by personification)
she was a fine ship
3
—used as an alternative to he to refer to a person of unspecified gender
allow anyone to do whatever she wants—D. J. Callahan

she

2 of 3

noun

: a female person or animal
—often used in combination
she-cat
she-cousin

s/he

3 of 3

pronoun (2)

ˈshē-ˈhē How to pronounce s/he (audio) ˈshē-ər-ˈhē How to pronounce s/he (audio)
ˈshē-ˌslash-ˈhē
: she or he
—used in writing as a pronoun of common gender

Examples of she in a Sentence

Noun “Somebody called when you were out, but I can't remember who.” “Was it a he or a she?”

Word History

Etymology

Pronoun (1)

Middle English, probably alteration of hye, alteration of Old English hēo she — more at he

First Known Use

Pronoun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Pronoun (2)

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of she was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing she

Dictionary Entries Near she

shd

she

s/he

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“She.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/she. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

she

1 of 2 pronoun
(ˈ)shē How to pronounce she (audio)
: that female one
she is my wife

she

2 of 2 noun
ˈshē
: a female person or animal
—often used in combination
she-cat

More from Merriam-Webster on she

Nglish: Translation of she for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of she for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about she

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