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
Trump has denied having known about Epstein’s decades-long abuse of underage girls and young women and has stated the two had a falling out in the early 2000s.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
The two married, bought a home in a suburb north of Dallas, started a painting business together and welcomed their two girls.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Irene Kim, Vogue Runway production and editorial associate The holidays are always the best time to dress up to the max and my holiday party look is focused on my favorite new heels from Nou made by a Jersey girl (like me) Alexia Ioannou.
—Talia Abbas, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2025
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the abductions of 25 girls from the boarding school in Kebbi state, and the motivation for the attack is unclear.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Add to that the unease caused by a recent story in Vanity Fair alleging that McCarthy had a relationship with an underage girl in the 1970s, and the project seemed fraught with challenges.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Mora Gerety was an 8-year-old Boise girl who loved being part of a team.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 16 Nov. 2025
Since 2015, American women and girls aged 15 to 44 have lost trust in the country's institutions by 17 points.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
And perhaps there is something even uglier, such as a desire to sabotage and tear down this girl, who, through sheer, unglamorous hard work, has managed to outshine him.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
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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Dylan Butts, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025
The two married, bought a home in a suburb north of Dallas, started a painting business together and welcomed their two girls.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025
Irene Kim, Vogue Runway production and editorial associate The holidays are always the best time to dress up to the max and my holiday party look is focused on my favorite new heels from Nou made by a Jersey girl (like me) Alexia Ioannou.
—Talia Abbas, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2025
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the abductions of 25 girls from the boarding school in Kebbi state, and the motivation for the attack is unclear.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Add to that the unease caused by a recent story in Vanity Fair alleging that McCarthy had a relationship with an underage girl in the 1970s, and the project seemed fraught with challenges.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Mora Gerety was an 8-year-old Boise girl who loved being part of a team.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 16 Nov. 2025
Since 2015, American women and girls aged 15 to 44 have lost trust in the country's institutions by 17 points.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
And perhaps there is something even uglier, such as a desire to sabotage and tear down this girl, who, through sheer, unglamorous hard work, has managed to outshine him.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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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