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
Meanwhile, Ella was explaining to my mother why the teacher had sent a note home with her and recounting how her friend Stacy had played kitchen with a new girl during free time at school and allowed Ella to join them only for the cleanup part.
—Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
American Heritage-Delray’s girls were nearly as dominant, losing just one match of 15 at the state tournament.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
In girls track, Montverde won 2A R2.
—Johnny Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The news broke the hearts of passionate regulars, who had flocked to the restaurant for family milestones, business dinners, romantic evenings and girls’ nights out since 1999.
—Connie Ogle
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Botstein was not accused of any involvement in Epstein's exploitation and abuse of girls and women.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Newport Harbor’s girls, who went 6-0 in league duals, captured their fourth straight title.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Truth be told, everyone was hoping for one — the teenage boy behind us, the two younger girls in front, all watching the ball boy like hawks.
—Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
For The Times) Ruby Cochrane and Olga Nikolaeva epitomized the mindset Mira Costa brought to Saturday afternoon’s Southern Section Division 1 girls’ beach volleyball championship match at Long Beach City College.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
American Heritage-Delray’s girls were nearly as dominant, losing just one match of 15 at the state tournament.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
In girls track, Montverde won 2A R2.
—Johnny Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The news broke the hearts of passionate regulars, who had flocked to the restaurant for family milestones, business dinners, romantic evenings and girls’ nights out since 1999.
—Connie Ogle
may 2, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Botstein was not accused of any involvement in Epstein's exploitation and abuse of girls and women.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Newport Harbor’s girls, who went 6-0 in league duals, captured their fourth straight title.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Truth be told, everyone was hoping for one — the teenage boy behind us, the two younger girls in front, all watching the ball boy like hawks.
—Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
For The Times) Ruby Cochrane and Olga Nikolaeva epitomized the mindset Mira Costa brought to Saturday afternoon’s Southern Section Division 1 girls’ beach volleyball championship match at Long Beach City College.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 3 May. 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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