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
Stoner, an all-purpose Disney supporting player who was never quite attached to a single part, first became known for a brief appearance in a Missy Elliott video, as a small white girl attempting hip-hop steps.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
LogoPowered byScale logo Earlier this week, a heartwarming post about a girl, a puppy, and a police officer went viral across social media platforms.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is searching for the parents of a baby girl found abandoned and alive at Penn Station in Manhattan Monday morning.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
The pregnant influencer, 35, is expecting another baby girl with her husband Emeka Ihedigo, sharing the news exclusively with PEOPLE.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Take a look at photo galleries for both the boys and girls Seventh Region finals.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Barbara Jones Outshine Talent Group Jones discovered Charli D’Amelio back when the TikTok star was just a young girl doing dances in her room in Connecticut.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
The other girls all seemed and appeared to be under the age of eighteen and didn't really speak English.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Now she's won in another way—with a baby girl named Eliana Mae.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
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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Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
LogoPowered byScale logo Earlier this week, a heartwarming post about a girl, a puppy, and a police officer went viral across social media platforms.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is searching for the parents of a baby girl found abandoned and alive at Penn Station in Manhattan Monday morning.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
The pregnant influencer, 35, is expecting another baby girl with her husband Emeka Ihedigo, sharing the news exclusively with PEOPLE.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Take a look at photo galleries for both the boys and girls Seventh Region finals.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Barbara Jones Outshine Talent Group Jones discovered Charli D’Amelio back when the TikTok star was just a young girl doing dances in her room in Connecticut.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
The other girls all seemed and appeared to be under the age of eighteen and didn't really speak English.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Now she's won in another way—with a baby girl named Eliana Mae.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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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