heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən  ˈhir- 

ˈhe-rə-

1

a

: a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability

b

: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities

American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks

remembered as the heroine of the flood

2

a

: the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work

the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

b

: the central female figure in an event or period

Examples of heroine in a Sentence

The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.

Recent Examples on the Web

But like its heroine, Gia Coppola’s film has stuck around even after being written off, and its pathos clearly struck a chord with the actors in SAG, who nominated both Anderson and her co-star Jamie Lee Curtis. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 11 Jan. 2025

But her doubts lifted when the series’ heroine, Grace, popped into her head and started talking. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025

Most recently, The Substance, widely touted as a tongue-in-cheek feminist narrative mocking the debilitating limits of Hollywood beauty culture, kills off its heroine (Demi Moore) in the most gruesome, punishing way. —Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Dec. 2024

Like all good comedy heroines (paging Carrie Bradshaw), Ruby is a hot mess whose behavior alienates AJ, her family and her colleagues at her party planning job. —Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən 

1

: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring

2

: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities

3

: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period