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
Lynn and Joan and their girls were several paces ahead, and had seen nothing.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Sacramento’s smallest zoo Alali now lives in Natomas with her fiancé, Alex Saraceno, along with Merlin; a girl group of rats named Monica, Moira and Amy; a former prison pigeon named Al Capone; a bearded dragon named Muffy; and a dog named Maverick.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The Forney girls soccer team is filled with underclassmen, but the young Jackrabbits were not at all intimidated by Southlake Carroll and its deep tradition.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Ramirez said the two young actors were obvious choices for the demanding role from the more than 50 girls who auditioned.
—Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Birds of Paradise, an all-girl rock band that covers songs by artists ranging from the Beatles and the Grateful Dead to the Strokes and the Cranberries, met at La Jolla High School.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Come and meet this lovely girl.
—Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
One of the world's most prolific serial killers, Bundy confessed to murdering at least 30 women and young girls between 1974 and 1978, and investigators suspect that there may be many more victims, as the extent of his crimes (which also included rape and kidnapping) isn't fully known.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
As a Florida girl who spent years living in the South of France, sandals are my version of the perfect footwear—although many don’t feel like it.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 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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Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Sacramento’s smallest zoo Alali now lives in Natomas with her fiancé, Alex Saraceno, along with Merlin; a girl group of rats named Monica, Moira and Amy; a former prison pigeon named Al Capone; a bearded dragon named Muffy; and a dog named Maverick.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The Forney girls soccer team is filled with underclassmen, but the young Jackrabbits were not at all intimidated by Southlake Carroll and its deep tradition.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
Ramirez said the two young actors were obvious choices for the demanding role from the more than 50 girls who auditioned.
—Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Birds of Paradise, an all-girl rock band that covers songs by artists ranging from the Beatles and the Grateful Dead to the Strokes and the Cranberries, met at La Jolla High School.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Come and meet this lovely girl.
—Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
One of the world's most prolific serial killers, Bundy confessed to murdering at least 30 women and young girls between 1974 and 1978, and investigators suspect that there may be many more victims, as the extent of his crimes (which also included rape and kidnapping) isn't fully known.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
As a Florida girl who spent years living in the South of France, sandals are my version of the perfect footwear—although many don’t feel like it.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 5 Apr. 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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