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
Founded in 2013 to fulfil Kim Jong Un’s sporting ambitions, the elite youth academy has since trained hundreds of girls and boys aged between seven and 17, many of whom would represent the country at international level, according to state news agency KCNA.
—Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Fashion girls make a strong case for contrasting the athletic bottoms with feminine tops and shoes, and the same approach works here.
—Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 6 June 2026
To be clear, regardless of inspiration, this designer is not designing clothes for girls.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
But now, Marist coach Jordan Vidovic is aiming for his fifth straight state championship for both the boys and girls volleyball programs.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Savannah and Sienna were joyful, bright, beloved girls who had their entire lives ahead of them.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
The Yogurt Shop Murders, which premiered last summer, revisited the 1991 killings of four teenage girls inside a local frozen yogurt shop that sent shockwaves through the community for years as the investigation dragged on.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 June 2026
Louis rescues a young girl and brings her back to Lestat to make her into a vampire.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 June 2026
This June, Gigi will represent Hayward Little League as one of just 100 kids in the country selected to play in a special tournament in Williamsport, the home of the Little League World Series, designed to grow the game for girls.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
Fashion girls make a strong case for contrasting the athletic bottoms with feminine tops and shoes, and the same approach works here.
—Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 6 June 2026
To be clear, regardless of inspiration, this designer is not designing clothes for girls.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
But now, Marist coach Jordan Vidovic is aiming for his fifth straight state championship for both the boys and girls volleyball programs.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
Savannah and Sienna were joyful, bright, beloved girls who had their entire lives ahead of them.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
The Yogurt Shop Murders, which premiered last summer, revisited the 1991 killings of four teenage girls inside a local frozen yogurt shop that sent shockwaves through the community for years as the investigation dragged on.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 June 2026
Louis rescues a young girl and brings her back to Lestat to make her into a vampire.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 June 2026
This June, Gigi will represent Hayward Little League as one of just 100 kids in the country selected to play in a special tournament in Williamsport, the home of the Little League World Series, designed to grow the game for girls.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 9 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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