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

Unlike the formal period clothing worn by the heroine in Lugosi’s film, Tovar was made to wear a negligee, instilling an impression that Latinas and Latino audiences have looser morals than their English-language counterparts, Morales said. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024

By and large, the stories tend to feature a heroine fleeing the city to take refuge in conservative, if not expressly partisan, predominantly white small towns. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024

The latest full-fledged scream queen gets a chance to play the romantic heroine in Lisa Frankenstein. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024

The trio of heroines hang out on cavernous space stations, travel to outlandish planets and encounter hordes of cat-like aliens. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 15 Oct. 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