i

1 of 8

noun (1)

plural i's or is ˈīz How to pronounce i (audio)
often capitalized, often attributive
1
a
: the 9th letter of the English alphabet
b
: a graphic representation of this letter
c
: a speech counterpart of orthographic i
2
3
: a graphic device for reproducing the letter i
4
: one designated i especially as the ninth in order or class
5
: something shaped like the letter I
6
: a unit vector parallel to the x-axis
7
[abbreviation for incomplete]
a
: a grade rating a student's work as incomplete
b
: one graded or rated with an I
8

i

2 of 8

abbreviation (1)

1
industrial
2
initial
3
intelligence
4
intensity
5
interlaced
6
intransitive
7
island; isle

i

3 of 8

symbol (1)

imaginary unit
Imaginary numbers have an imaginary unit, like i, 4i, and -2i.Yang Kuang and Elleyne Kase

I

4 of 8

pronoun

ˈī How to pronounce I (audio)
ə
: the one who is speaking or writing
I feel fine
compare me, mine, my, we
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

who, me?

, emphatically

me too

, and after prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs, including be.

come with me
you're as big as me
it's me

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

5 of 8

noun (2)

plural I's or Is ˈīz How to pronounce I (audio)
: someone aware of possessing a personal individuality : self

I

6 of 8

abbreviation (2)

1
electric current
2
Indian
3
interstate
4
Israeli

I

7 of 8

symbol (2)

iodine

-i-

8 of 8

affix

used as a connective vowel to join word elements especially of Latin origin
matrilineal
raticide

Examples of i in a Sentence

Noun (1) The word “ice” begins with an i. The word “ice” begins with i.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And Jackie is like the id or something that comes in. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 These are epithelial cells, which form the inner layers of the tentacle; i-cells, which help the jellyfish sense and handle food; and stinging nematocytes. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024 By the middle of 2017 my id wanted nothing to do with her superego. Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024 In the context of mental health therapy, the dual-use AI provision can be characterized in these two disturbingly divergent ways: (i) AI democratization of mental health treatment (i.e., happy face portrayal). Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 Nazario will remain in his current role at i-D as the global fashion director. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 30 Nov. 2023 For example, 5 is no longer prime, because 5 = (2 + i) × (2 − i). 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

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

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of i was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near i

Cite this Entry

“I.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/i. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

i

1 of 2 noun
ˈī
often capitalized
1
: the ninth letter of the English alphabet
2
: one in Roman numerals
3
: a grade rating a student's work as incomplete

I

2 of 2 pronoun
(ˈ)ī,
ə
: the person speaking or writing
I feel fine

Medical Definition

i

1 of 2 abbreviation
1
incisor
2
optically inactive

I

2 of 2 symbol
iodine

More from Merriam-Webster on i

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