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 2020, Idaho was the first state in the country to approve the measure categorically barring transgender women and girls from women’s and girls sports.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Jackson added that her concern centered on how the laws define eligibility for girls’ teams.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2026
McCuskey, who is leading his state's legal defense against the trans athlete after the athlete sued to block the state's law to keep biological males out of girls' sports, addressed the allegations at a news conference Monday.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The clip, which has amassed over 14 million views and nearly 3 million likes, shows the little girl, who was only 4 days old at the time, with a grumpy expression on her face as her brother leans in for the smooch.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Other big stories ➤ An Arizona lawmaker said the personal stories of the two girls who filed a civil lawsuit against the state’s ban on transgender athletes playing on girls’ sports teams aren't central to the issue.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Cash’s twist in Lost Lambs makes conspiracy a practice honed by young girls, the kinds of people at the center of Pizzagate and rap beefs and the Epstein files.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 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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Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Jackson added that her concern centered on how the laws define eligibility for girls’ teams.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2026
McCuskey, who is leading his state's legal defense against the trans athlete after the athlete sued to block the state's law to keep biological males out of girls' sports, addressed the allegations at a news conference Monday.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Jan. 2026
The clip, which has amassed over 14 million views and nearly 3 million likes, shows the little girl, who was only 4 days old at the time, with a grumpy expression on her face as her brother leans in for the smooch.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Other big stories ➤ An Arizona lawmaker said the personal stories of the two girls who filed a civil lawsuit against the state’s ban on transgender athletes playing on girls’ sports teams aren't central to the issue.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Cash’s twist in Lost Lambs makes conspiracy a practice honed by young girls, the kinds of people at the center of Pizzagate and rap beefs and the Epstein files.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 14 Jan. 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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