plural girls
1
a(1)
: a female child from birth to adulthood
a seven-year-old girl
(2)
: a person whose gender identity is female
… narrator Taylor Meskimen draws listeners into the emotional life of Zenobia July, a tech-savvy trans girl who's facing a new year at a new middle school.—
Rebecca Honeycutt
Rebecca Honeycutt
b
: daughter
Papa's answer was quiet. "I thought I taught you to read, my girl."—Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak
c
: a young woman
d
sometimes offensive
: a single or married woman of any age
2
: a female romantic partner : girlfriend
3
US, informal
a
: a female friend
I love going to a spa and dinner with my girls.—Karen Clifton
Karen Clifton
b
—used as a friendly way of addressing a woman or girl
Hey girl, I like your taste in Christmas gifts.—Miranda Crace
Miranda CraceGirl, you need to give yourself some credit.—John Van Meter
John Van Meter4
: a woman or girl native to a given place
a local girl
She was a city girl at heart.
5
: a female domesticated animal and especially a pet
She … is still mastering the art of being a good girl, as any 3-month-old puppy is.—Rotorua (New Zealand) Weekender
Rotorua (New Zealand) WeekenderKeeping low-key when leaving and returning is essential. Just a "Bye!" and "Be a good girl!" when you leave is plenty. Your dog will be busy with her goodies dispenser, anyway, and probably won't notice when you leave.—Ed Bailey
Ed BaileyEve is a 10-year-old female kitty who is an independent pretty girl …—Jackson (Michigan) Citizen Patriot: Web Edition Articles
Jackson (Michigan) Citizen Patriot: Web Edition Articles6
dated, offensive
: a female servant or enslaved woman
also
: a female employee
Examples of girl in a Sentence
Is this your little girl?
a group of teenage girls
His parents hope he'll soon find a nice girl, settle down, and get married.
Wait till the girls back home hear about this!
Our boss thinks of herself as just one of the girls.
She went out dancing with the girls.
They just hired a new girl to do the filing.
Recent Examples on the Web
In girls lacrosse, for instance, the U-46 team’s largest contingent is from South Elgin High.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
But the competitors, all boys and girls with intellectual disabilities, helped usher in a new and more inclusive era in sports, at a time when children with special needs were often locked away at home or shipped off to institutions.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 23 May 2026
Like Bozo putting on his circus getup, Yuskavage’s girls clock in at the studio, slapping on their socks, their panties, their outsized nipples.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Prosecutors suspect Brandon McGibbon, 33, might have targeted at least 20 young women and underage girls, with the youngest potential victim being just 13 years old, according to a detention memorandum filed Friday in which prosecutors sought to keep McGibbon in custody.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
The Winter Spring girls battled through the up-and-down emotions of having to deal with the death of teammate Kennedy Jackson, the starting first baseman as a freshman last year.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
The latest installment of the HBO series reveals that, in addition to four innocent girls losing their lives in 1991, Brashers killed at least four other people.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 23 May 2026
Barker combines the monkey’s paw and Pygmalion myths in this story of a young man who wishes that his dream girl would fall in love with him.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
At a quiet soccer field Friday evening in south Sacramento, the family and friends of the two girls killed in the deadly Sunday morning crash near Rancho Murieta gathered to mourn the teenagers.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 23, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
But the competitors, all boys and girls with intellectual disabilities, helped usher in a new and more inclusive era in sports, at a time when children with special needs were often locked away at home or shipped off to institutions.
—Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 23 May 2026
Like Bozo putting on his circus getup, Yuskavage’s girls clock in at the studio, slapping on their socks, their panties, their outsized nipples.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Prosecutors suspect Brandon McGibbon, 33, might have targeted at least 20 young women and underage girls, with the youngest potential victim being just 13 years old, according to a detention memorandum filed Friday in which prosecutors sought to keep McGibbon in custody.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
The Winter Spring girls battled through the up-and-down emotions of having to deal with the death of teammate Kennedy Jackson, the starting first baseman as a freshman last year.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
The latest installment of the HBO series reveals that, in addition to four innocent girls losing their lives in 1991, Brashers killed at least four other people.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 23 May 2026
Barker combines the monkey’s paw and Pygmalion myths in this story of a young man who wishes that his dream girl would fall in love with him.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
At a quiet soccer field Friday evening in south Sacramento, the family and friends of the two girls killed in the deadly Sunday morning crash near Rancho Murieta gathered to mourn the teenagers.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 23, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
girl
noun1
a
: a female child
b
: a young woman
2
offensive
: a female servant
—used especially in the past
3
Etymology
Middle English gurle, girle "a young person of either sex"
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