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
Fosler, more than 50 years her senior, groomed the teenage girl via text messages, Heather Spencer said on Facebook.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
At Dilley, the 13-year-old calmed herself by drawing, producing haunting pictures of a girl locked inside gates.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
His late brother, Gary, was the El Dorado girls basketball coach in the 1990s.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
Statham stars as a retired assassin living off the coast of Scotland who has to get back to work while trying to stop the agency that used to pay him and protecting a young girl named Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach).
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2026
If the Brits are anything to go by, feather boas and harlequin jumpsuits are out, and French-girl flats are in.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2026
Iran state news agency reported 57 people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a girls school in Southern Iran, and another 60 wounded.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
That girl was Peggy Caserta, the fashion pioneer behind bell-bottom jeans.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Westlake set a school record — girls and boys — in total victories.
—Butch Hart, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 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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Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
At Dilley, the 13-year-old calmed herself by drawing, producing haunting pictures of a girl locked inside gates.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
His late brother, Gary, was the El Dorado girls basketball coach in the 1990s.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
Statham stars as a retired assassin living off the coast of Scotland who has to get back to work while trying to stop the agency that used to pay him and protecting a young girl named Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach).
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2026
If the Brits are anything to go by, feather boas and harlequin jumpsuits are out, and French-girl flats are in.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2026
Iran state news agency reported 57 people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a girls school in Southern Iran, and another 60 wounded.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026
That girl was Peggy Caserta, the fashion pioneer behind bell-bottom jeans.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Westlake set a school record — girls and boys — in total victories.
—Butch Hart, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 2 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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