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

Davis remembers Thelma & Louise fondly, but doesn't think the film — which ends with the two titular heroines driving off of a cliff to certain doom — leaves room for a follow-up. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 1 May 2025

In death, however, the 19th-century Habsburg monarch has joined a long list of historical women reimagined in 21st-century popular culture as feminist heroines—much to some historians’ chagrin. —Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025

Its heroines, Papika and Cocona, are powerful agents of the organization Flip Flap, tasked with exploring parallel worlds and collecting MacGuffins from each while battling a rival organization, Asclepius. —Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

The sleuthing teen heroine Enola Holmes is returning to Netflix, with production officially underway for the third installment of the mystery-adventure film series. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for heroine

• heroin

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