heroine

noun

Save Word

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 Inspired by the comic book heroine created by William Moulton Marston in the 1940s for DC Comics, Wonder Woman got her own TV show in 1975, with former Miss World USA Lynda Carter in the leading role and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Wonder Woman 1984 is fun, but doesn’t quite capture magic of its predecessor," 25 Dec. 2020 There is something fairy tale–like about Owusu’s story, an orphan-like existence of struggle and survival, but there is no fairy godmother who rescues this heroine—just a growing sense of self-awareness to orient her in a troubling world. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "The Best Books to Read in 2021," 25 Dec. 2020 Emine Sevgi Özdamar’s teenage heroine in The Bridge of the Golden Horn escapes the Turkey of her birth with dreams of becoming a famous actress. — Ariel Dorfman, The New York Review of Books, "Songs of Loss and Reinvention," 17 Nov. 2020 Fans of this bestselling series, which has sold more than 100 million books worldwide, won’t want to miss its 27th installment, taking heroine Stephanie Plum on a dangerous treasure hunt. — Lesley Kennedy, CNN Underscored, "All the new books you’ll want to read in November," 10 Nov. 2020 Economists are reviving Alexander, born in Philadelphia in 1898, as a heroine for today. — The Economist, "Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Economists are rediscovering a lost heroine," 16 Dec. 2020 Criticism might entail thinking about why some feminists passionately embraced Sarah Connor as a maternal action heroine or explaining how this sequel tries to compensate for the paternalism of its predecessor. — Washington Post, "A feminist critiques movies by and about White guys — but why?," 4 Dec. 2020 Or perhaps with its story headed toward scandal and tragedy, The Crown needed to stop treating the Queen as a faultless heroine. — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, "The Crown Finally Criticizes the Queen," 11 Nov. 2020 Afi is a worthy heroine, unwilling to yield to the patriarchal forces that threaten her spirit. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "'His Only Wife' Is a Refreshingly Modern Ghanaian Love Story," 2 Nov. 2020

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.