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
Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Rogers, a University of Arkansas commitment and the reigning Gatorade girls player of the year for the state, finished with 33 points, but was held to 13 points in the second half as Bryant (12-6) won 57-55 at Warrior Arena in Little Rock on Tuesday night.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Shades of champagne, tan, and bronze eyeshadow glint on the lids of every celebrity; pinky-nude lip glosses abound, and clean-girl-friendly cream blushes are everywhere.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
This year welcomes her first novel, a story of girl teenagedom and yearning, and an older male professor that takes up the centrality of the protagonist’s obsession.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The youngest were a Swiss girl and a French boy, both 14.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
The other girl being towed behind the boat also was in the water.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
The 12-year-old Bridgeport girl received medical attention at the scene by crews with the fire department, Wilson said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Best plus-size spring wedding guest dresses Most multi-label department stores offer inclusive sizing, as do fashion girl go-tos like Ganni.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 6 Jan. 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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Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Rogers, a University of Arkansas commitment and the reigning Gatorade girls player of the year for the state, finished with 33 points, but was held to 13 points in the second half as Bryant (12-6) won 57-55 at Warrior Arena in Little Rock on Tuesday night.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Shades of champagne, tan, and bronze eyeshadow glint on the lids of every celebrity; pinky-nude lip glosses abound, and clean-girl-friendly cream blushes are everywhere.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
This year welcomes her first novel, a story of girl teenagedom and yearning, and an older male professor that takes up the centrality of the protagonist’s obsession.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The youngest were a Swiss girl and a French boy, both 14.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
The other girl being towed behind the boat also was in the water.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
The 12-year-old Bridgeport girl received medical attention at the scene by crews with the fire department, Wilson said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Best plus-size spring wedding guest dresses Most multi-label department stores offer inclusive sizing, as do fashion girl go-tos like Ganni.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 7 Jan. 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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