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
The performance tells the true story of Sarah Rector, the 11-year-old Black girl who became a millionaire in 1913 after oil was discovered on land allotted to her family.
—J.m. Banks
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
For all of its massive successes, and for all of the fame, money, and love generated by this Broadway juggernaut, 125 years later the biggest lasting impact of Florodora is this spicy and fruity little cocktail, created for one particular girl in a particularly imperious mood.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 13 June 2026
After losing Saint Pepsi to trademark law, DeRobertis and future funk took diverging paths—the former towards nu-disco and synthpop, the latter towards a new artistic disposition made up of anime girls and neon colors.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
Bess Wohl encouraged women and girls to tell their stories.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Kelly and his girls visit Lally a few times a week and help with grocery shopping.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Williams said the teen boy and the young girls are recovering from their injuries.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Sacramento police are seeking the driver in a deadly hit-and-run that killed a 9-year-old Oak Park girl Thursday night and left a man with serious injuries.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
In true Collins fashion (not her character, Emily, to be precise), the look felt distinctly French girl-coded—understated, timeless, and full-on rich mom energy.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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J.m. Banks
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
For all of its massive successes, and for all of the fame, money, and love generated by this Broadway juggernaut, 125 years later the biggest lasting impact of Florodora is this spicy and fruity little cocktail, created for one particular girl in a particularly imperious mood.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 13 June 2026
After losing Saint Pepsi to trademark law, DeRobertis and future funk took diverging paths—the former towards nu-disco and synthpop, the latter towards a new artistic disposition made up of anime girls and neon colors.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
Bess Wohl encouraged women and girls to tell their stories.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Kelly and his girls visit Lally a few times a week and help with grocery shopping.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Williams said the teen boy and the young girls are recovering from their injuries.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Sacramento police are seeking the driver in a deadly hit-and-run that killed a 9-year-old Oak Park girl Thursday night and left a man with serious injuries.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
In true Collins fashion (not her character, Emily, to be precise), the look felt distinctly French girl-coded—understated, timeless, and full-on rich mom energy.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 14 Jun. 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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