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
Chavez is accused of molesting or raping young girls and civil rights hero Dolores Huerta, according to a New York Times story published Wednesday.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026
If Levi's is ruling the roost with the ribcage jeans at the mall, then the ultimate French girl cool brand Chloé is doing the same in the luxury world.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
The distinctive characters, including the spirit guide Gudu and young girl Yuri, were designed by Ng.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
These girls have identical makeup!
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
In a New York Times investigative report, several survivors allege Chavez, who died in 1993, abused and molested multiple women and young girls over decades, including the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta.
—Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, we were charmed by a young girl’s journey.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Students and staff can tick off a list of Kennedy’s recent accomplishments, including that its girls basketball team won the city league championship this winter and its JROTC team is competing at nationals.
—Melanie Asmar, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
These artworks could be remade to instead celebrate the achievements of the many people — especially the women and girls — who marched and fought for the labor movement.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026
If Levi's is ruling the roost with the ribcage jeans at the mall, then the ultimate French girl cool brand Chloé is doing the same in the luxury world.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
The distinctive characters, including the spirit guide Gudu and young girl Yuri, were designed by Ng.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
These girls have identical makeup!
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
In a New York Times investigative report, several survivors allege Chavez, who died in 1993, abused and molested multiple women and young girls over decades, including the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta.
—Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, we were charmed by a young girl’s journey.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Students and staff can tick off a list of Kennedy’s recent accomplishments, including that its girls basketball team won the city league championship this winter and its JROTC team is competing at nationals.
—Melanie Asmar, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
These artworks could be remade to instead celebrate the achievements of the many people — especially the women and girls — who marched and fought for the labor movement.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 23 Mar. 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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