heroine
noun
her·o·ine
ˈher-ə-wən 
ˈhir-,
ˈhe-rə-
1
a
: a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability
b
: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities
American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks
remembered as the heroine of the flood
2
a
: the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work
the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
b
: the central female figure in an event or period
Examples of heroine in a Sentence
The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Puccini isn’t ambiguous about the relative morality of his heroine and villain.
—
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The actress who spent five movies as clumsy YA heroine Bella Swan in the Twilight saga is far from enamored with the sparkling vampire at the center of the franchise.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
After all, what kind of heroine would leave before the roof caves in?
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The Body in the Backyard, out July 16 from Bloom Books, hits close to home for our heroine and the zany cast of characters surrounding her.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Back in ancient Babylon, Jewish scribes might have re-imagined a popular goddess as a Jewish heroine.
—Esther Brownsmith, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2024
Some of opera’s greatest heroines have stories that unfold over the course of three acts.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Once Nell arrives at her hometown, this unusual heroine starts to look more peculiar still.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
The film centers on the relationship between its heroine, Hazel, and her emotionally distant father, Abuelo, a character loosrly based on Curi's own father.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The actress who spent five movies as clumsy YA heroine Bella Swan in the Twilight saga is far from enamored with the sparkling vampire at the center of the franchise.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
After all, what kind of heroine would leave before the roof caves in?
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2024
The Body in the Backyard, out July 16 from Bloom Books, hits close to home for our heroine and the zany cast of characters surrounding her.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Back in ancient Babylon, Jewish scribes might have re-imagined a popular goddess as a Jewish heroine.
—Esther Brownsmith, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2024
Some of opera’s greatest heroines have stories that unfold over the course of three acts.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Once Nell arrives at her hometown, this unusual heroine starts to look more peculiar still.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024
The film centers on the relationship between its heroine, Hazel, and her emotionally distant father, Abuelo, a character loosrly based on Curi's own father.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heroine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near heroine
Cite this Entry
“Heroine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroine. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heroine
noun
her·o·ine
ˈher-ə-wən
1
: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring
2
: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities
3
: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period
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