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
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 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 See More

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 6 Dec. 2023.

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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