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
The actress behind Tool Time girl Heidi Keppert recalls crossing paths with Anderson during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly while discussing her upcoming guest appearance on Shifting Gears, the ABC sitcom featuring her former costar Tim Allen.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
Most notably, California high school sports continue to be a hotbed of discussion as a transgender athlete has competed in track and field and girls’ volleyball.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The author had found that the paranormal romance genre, both on television and in books, has historically relegated Black girls to lesser roles that usually end badly for them.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Why these four girls were murdered is still unclear.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Twenty-seven years later, in a small town where the local kids get their kicks with a game of ‘Playing Gracie Darling,’ another girl disappears.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
The torture and killing of two young women and a teenage girl, live-streamed on social media to an audience of dozens, has sent shockwaves through Argentina and triggered protests across the country.
—Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Mommy and Daddy love you sweet girl.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 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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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
Most notably, California high school sports continue to be a hotbed of discussion as a transgender athlete has competed in track and field and girls’ volleyball.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
The author had found that the paranormal romance genre, both on television and in books, has historically relegated Black girls to lesser roles that usually end badly for them.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Why these four girls were murdered is still unclear.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Twenty-seven years later, in a small town where the local kids get their kicks with a game of ‘Playing Gracie Darling,’ another girl disappears.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025
The torture and killing of two young women and a teenage girl, live-streamed on social media to an audience of dozens, has sent shockwaves through Argentina and triggered protests across the country.
—Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Mommy and Daddy love you sweet girl.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Girl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girl. Accessed 2 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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