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
Both girls said that Jenkins and Powell argued that day, and Powell appeared to be sulking.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The rumor is that 20 years earlier a teenage girl was killed and buried there by her parents, who subsequently disappeared.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Now, as part of the unofficial SportsCon of Super Bowl week, the Pro Bowl caps a daylong celebration of flag football that includes the championship game for the under-13 international coed teams, and a showcase game featuring the 32 best girls high school flag players.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Women and girls are not a category that can be opted into.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
And also on Untucked … • The week-one girls strategize a lot, which makes the week-two girls angry.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
And here was this quiet girl in the corner, not calling me, not saying anything.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Today, Manucurist products have been used at Paris Fashion Week shows like Saint Laurent and Chloé—and by practically every cool girl in France.
—Renée Reardin, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 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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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The rumor is that 20 years earlier a teenage girl was killed and buried there by her parents, who subsequently disappeared.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Now, as part of the unofficial SportsCon of Super Bowl week, the Pro Bowl caps a daylong celebration of flag football that includes the championship game for the under-13 international coed teams, and a showcase game featuring the 32 best girls high school flag players.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Women and girls are not a category that can be opted into.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
And also on Untucked … • The week-one girls strategize a lot, which makes the week-two girls angry.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
And here was this quiet girl in the corner, not calling me, not saying anything.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Today, Manucurist products have been used at Paris Fashion Week shows like Saint Laurent and Chloé—and by practically every cool girl in France.
—Renée Reardin, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 9 Feb. 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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