Yang Kuang and Elleyne Kase
me or I?: Usage Guide
Me is used in many constructions where strict grammarians prescribe I. This usage is not so much ungrammatical as indicative of the shrinking range of the nominative form: me began to replace I sometime around the 16th century largely because of the pressure of word order. I is now chiefly used as the subject of an immediately following verb. Me occurs in every other position: absolutely
, emphatically
, and after prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs, including be.
Almost all usage books recognize the legitimacy of me in these positions, especially in speech; some recommend I in formal and especially written contexts after be and after as and than when the first term of the comparison is the subject of a verb.
-i-
8 of 8affix
Examples of i in a Sentence
Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
As part of the sale, Kloss will lead the British magazine as CEO, with i-D top editor Alastair McKimm to expand his role and assume the role of chief creative officer and global editor-in-chief.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
The id wasn’t conceptualized as something that regulated or judged a person’s needs or wants.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2023
In her first solo magazine cover for i-D's Fall/Winter 2023 issue, the 10-year-old opened up about her life as the daughter of Kim Kardashian, 43, and Kanye West, 46, revealing her love for basketball and chatting about her own personal style.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
Natsuno, sometimes credited as the father of the mobile internet in Japan, was previously the founder of i-mode and MD of Dwango.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023
North West Did Her Own Edges for i-D Cover Shoot — Plus More Iconic Style Quotes from the 10-Year-Old Tastemaker
Kardashian’s other two kids — daughter North, 10, and son Saint, 7 — also went all-out for Halloween this year.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
Nazario is currently the global fashion director at i-D and has worked with the likes of Solange, Lizzo, Rihanna, and more.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 15 Sep. 2023
At the mention of the i-word — influencer, in this case — Haq seems to almost flinch.
—Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'i.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Pronoun
Middle English, from Old English ic; akin to Old High German ih I, Latin ego, Greek egō
Affix
Latin, thematic vowel of most nouns and adjectives in combination
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Pronoun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1539, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing i
Dictionary Entries Near i
Cite this Entry
“I.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/i. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
i
1 of 2 nounI
2 of 2 pronoun
Medical Definition
i
1 of 2 abbreviationI
2 of 2 symbol
More from Merriam-Webster on i
Nglish: Translation of i for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of i for Arabic Speakers
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