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

Indie Sparks writes strong heroines whose knees go weak for cinnamon roll heroes with dirty mouths and the skills to walk the talk. —Meg Miller, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026

The movie is happy to have Linda commit acts of brutality to preserve her place on top, but what is true equality if not allowing your anti-heroine to be in all ways just as monstrously self-interested as the men? —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026

Teela Designed with collector-level detail, this movie-accurate figure captures the heroine’s iconic armor, weapons, and the likeness of actress Camila Mendes. —Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026

Millennial women, raised on Girl Power and rom-coms in which the heroine gets the job and the man, joined the workforce just in time for the girlboss culture of the 2010s, which promised that hard work would lead not only to personal success but also to feminist victory. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for heroine

• heroin

Kids 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