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

Perfect Dark keeps its edgy espionage tone and iconic heroine, Joanna Dark. —Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 9 June 2024

By Judy Berman June 7, 2024 7:00 AM EDT Hulu’s wonderful new dramedy Queenie opens with an overhead, medium close-up shot that puts viewers face-to-face with the show’s namesake heroine. —Judy Berman, TIME, 7 June 2024

And finally: How is the story different if these human beings are all young females, and a female heroine is the one who’s going to rescue them, instead of a male one? —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024

One of them is the film’s heroine, Bailey (Nykiya Adams), who is 12 but seems older. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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