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 when the hydration from masks, oils, and butters isn’t cutting it, there’s steaming, something curly hair girls already know very well, says Kiana Rae Brown, a curly hair specialist and owner of West Coast Curls Salon in Los Angeles.
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
In the fall of 2025, all of the it-girls look to be obsessed with a color straight out of the ’60s.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025
Following the title triumph, Californian Jovic – won two junior major titles in girls’ doubles – also became the youngest American to win a tour-level title since Coco Gauff won in Parma four years ago.
—Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
London Reuters — British police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old British girl who vanished from Portugal’s Algarve region in 2007, said a 49-year-old German man remains a suspect in their investigation.
—Reuters 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
In a brief clip that followed, two young girls, who appeared to be the pair’s daughters, were seen walking with a horse on a farm.
—Dory Jackson, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Maxwell, a former British socialite who had been accused of procuring and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse, fascinated Kraus.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Make people mad, say something racist, interview a drunk girl outside a Chili’s about anal.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
In another sketch, a woman who may be Baker herself stands in the middle of a room filled with books, handing an eager young girl—perhaps the artist, one Jeanette Harris— a volume with the title Book of Famous Women.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 15 Sep. 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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Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
In the fall of 2025, all of the it-girls look to be obsessed with a color straight out of the ’60s.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025
Following the title triumph, Californian Jovic – won two junior major titles in girls’ doubles – also became the youngest American to win a tour-level title since Coco Gauff won in Parma four years ago.
—Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
London Reuters — British police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old British girl who vanished from Portugal’s Algarve region in 2007, said a 49-year-old German man remains a suspect in their investigation.
—Reuters 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
In a brief clip that followed, two young girls, who appeared to be the pair’s daughters, were seen walking with a horse on a farm.
—Dory Jackson, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Maxwell, a former British socialite who had been accused of procuring and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse, fascinated Kraus.
—Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Make people mad, say something racist, interview a drunk girl outside a Chili’s about anal.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
In another sketch, a woman who may be Baker herself stands in the middle of a room filled with books, handing an eager young girl—perhaps the artist, one Jeanette Harris— a volume with the title Book of Famous Women.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 16 Sep. 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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