heroine

noun

her·o·ine | \ ˈher-ə-wən ,

ˈhir- , ˈhe-rə-

Definition of heroine

1a : a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability

b : a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks remembered as the heroine of the flood

2a : the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

b : the central female figure in an event or period

Examples of heroine in a Sentence

The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like other women in Moshfegh’s stories, the heroine in My Year of Rest and Relaxation is unsettling. — Hope Reese, Longreads, "A Person Alone: Leaning Out with Ottessa Moshfegh," 5 July 2018 Princess Tsianina’s own story, in fact, was the inspiration for the opera, in which the heroine, disillusioned by urban life and caught in a romantic triangle, returns to the values of her tribal society. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Before ‘Hamilton,’ 100 years of American music theater and how it’s told the story of who we are," 29 June 2018 Daisy Ridley, who stars as the heroine Rey, quit social media last year for similar reasons. — CBS News, "Racist, misogynistic messages show dark side of "Star Wars" fandom," 9 June 2018 Daisy Ridley, who stars as the heroine Rey, quit social media last year for similar reasons. — Washington Post, "Abusive messages show dark side of ‘Star Wars’ fandom," 9 June 2018 In music and movies, sports and politics, heroines (and heroes) can catalyze early interests and spark lifelong ambitions. — Brian Keating, WIRED, "There's Nothing Noble about Science’s Nobel Prize Gender Gap," 27 May 2018 Grapevines, like the heroines in D. W. Griffith movies, are subject to every kind of trial: in addition to the pests that wipe out whole vineyards, more than sixty specific viruses unique to grapevines have been identified. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "A Vintner’s Quest to Create a Truly American Wine," 14 May 2018 Is there a themed frat party where our heroine, to the delight of many, owns the dance floor? — Mark Kennedy, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Melissa McCarthy’s ‘Party’ is a disaster," 10 May 2018 Other silver screen heroines like Ginella Massa, who was Canada's first hijab-wearing news anchor, and the aforementioned Halima Aden, the first pageant queen to wear a burkini and hijab in a competition, defy and redefine beauty standards. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "17 Amazing Muslim Beauty Bloggers You Should Follow on Instagram," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heroine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.