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
And the justices will consider later this term whether states can prevent transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
The previous day, there had been a tragedy in Texas, in which young girls at a summer camp had drowned in a flash flood.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, leaving in place her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for trafficking underage girls in a scheme with the late financier.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025
At the center of the film is the fictional girl group, Huntr/x, portrayed by Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Federal prosecutors in New York said Maxwell helped Epstein recruit, groom and ultimately abuse girls as young as 14.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025
In another vignette, Swift is part of a Supremes-like girl group entertaining a speakeasy full of jovial patrons.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
One user explained that OP would only be in the wrong if the two girls accepted her as their mother.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
The results showed that one out of three girls takes a step back from sports by age 14, and only 53% of girls between the ages of 6 and 14 feel confident while playing sports.
—De Elizabeth, Parents, 6 Oct. 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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Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
The previous day, there had been a tragedy in Texas, in which young girls at a summer camp had drowned in a flash flood.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, leaving in place her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for trafficking underage girls in a scheme with the late financier.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025
At the center of the film is the fictional girl group, Huntr/x, portrayed by Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Federal prosecutors in New York said Maxwell helped Epstein recruit, groom and ultimately abuse girls as young as 14.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025
In another vignette, Swift is part of a Supremes-like girl group entertaining a speakeasy full of jovial patrons.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
One user explained that OP would only be in the wrong if the two girls accepted her as their mother.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
The results showed that one out of three girls takes a step back from sports by age 14, and only 53% of girls between the ages of 6 and 14 feel confident while playing sports.
—De Elizabeth, Parents, 6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 9 Oct. 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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