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
Cherry Creek’s boys and girls tennis teams once put up state-title streaks of 19 straight each.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
Happy birthday, Rihanna—a true fashion girl.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2026
Overall, Lowell head coach Nick Logan is proud of his girls for keeping their drive and dedication all the way to the win.
—Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
So, to repeat again as Masters champions is a phenomenal feat for those girls.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Valencia’s girls basketball team defeated Windward 59-46 on Saturday night in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals at Valencia High.
—Tony Gleason, Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Breck never trailed in defeating Warroad 4-1 for the Class A girls state hockey championship Saturday night at Grand Casino Arena.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
In December 2025, Auburn Journal journalist Jordan Georgeson reported that a former Del Oro girls basketball assistant coach said her staff was forced out of the program and alleged overreach by Duncan.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The King’s Academy girls’ soccer team had to work overtime and then some in winning the first state soccer championship in school history at Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
Happy birthday, Rihanna—a true fashion girl.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2026
Overall, Lowell head coach Nick Logan is proud of his girls for keeping their drive and dedication all the way to the win.
—Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
So, to repeat again as Masters champions is a phenomenal feat for those girls.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Valencia’s girls basketball team defeated Windward 59-46 on Saturday night in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals at Valencia High.
—Tony Gleason, Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Breck never trailed in defeating Warroad 4-1 for the Class A girls state hockey championship Saturday night at Grand Casino Arena.
—Staff Report, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
In December 2025, Auburn Journal journalist Jordan Georgeson reported that a former Del Oro girls basketball assistant coach said her staff was forced out of the program and alleged overreach by Duncan.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The King’s Academy girls’ soccer team had to work overtime and then some in winning the first state soccer championship in school history at Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 23 Feb. 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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