heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən 

ˈhir-,

ˈhe-rə- 

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

The 27-year-old actor, who will co-chair the Met Gala in May, has graduated from a Disney Channel heroine to a blockbuster star and budding fashion icon over her nearly 15 years in the spotlight. —Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places by Claire Kann (May 21st, 2024) Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places centers on a Black heroine and is set in an old Victorian mansion that seemingly has a mind of its own. —Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024

Once again our heroine is a steely, scrappy young woman who has a single vice — Weaving’s Grace had a penchant for cigarettes; Barrera’s Joey gobbles hard candy. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024

Yes, the woman who marries a man who has been married before, or has had relations with numerous women before, cannot help but think of herself as a figure in a kind of tapestry, rather than a heroine unique in herself. —Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Like a lot of classic detective fiction(*), much of the story is narrated by our heroine. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024

Puccini isn’t ambiguous about the relative morality of his heroine and villain. —Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

The actress who spent five movies as clumsy YA heroine Bella Swan in the Twilight saga is far from enamored with the sparkling vampire at the center of the franchise. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024

After all, what kind of heroine would leave before the roof caves in? —Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən 

1

: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring

2

: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities

3

: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period