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
As opposed to the first film, where a good girl falls for a bad boy, the sequel turns the concept upside down, with Pfeiffer playing the bad girl who falls for a good boy.
—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2026
One girl, identified only as SH, was about 14 years old when Vander Meer allegedly began grooming her with gifts, special attention and knee touches and hugs in 2002.
—
Kori McNair,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Police helped a woman and a girl get out of the home safely before bullets started flying.
—
Frankie McLister,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Patrick and Brittany Mahomes got their little girl Sterling a Chanel bag for her second birthday in February 2023.
—
Joyann Jeffrey,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
Letlow has emphasized key priorities for social conservatives, notably her support for national legislation barring transgender women and girls from competing in school sports.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
This week, he was convicted of abusing two girls over a period of more than 20 years.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
27 June 2026
Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
This guest even slipped on some socks for some extra cool girl points.
—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
27 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.
Send us feedback.
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2026
One girl, identified only as SH, was about 14 years old when Vander Meer allegedly began grooming her with gifts, special attention and knee touches and hugs in 2002.
—
Kori McNair,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Police helped a woman and a girl get out of the home safely before bullets started flying.
—
Frankie McLister,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Patrick and Brittany Mahomes got their little girl Sterling a Chanel bag for her second birthday in February 2023.
—
Joyann Jeffrey,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
Letlow has emphasized key priorities for social conservatives, notably her support for national legislation barring transgender women and girls from competing in school sports.
—
ABC News,
27 June 2026
This week, he was convicted of abusing two girls over a period of more than 20 years.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
27 June 2026
Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
This guest even slipped on some socks for some extra cool girl points.
—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
27 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 28 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
