he
pronoun
the male person or animal being discussed or last mentioned; that male.
he
1 American
[hee, ee]
/ hi, i /
pronoun
-
they,
plural nominative
-
him,
objective
-
them,
objective
-
his,
possessive
-
their,
possessive
-
theirs
possessive
-
the male person or animal being discussed or last mentioned; that male.
-
anyone (without reference to gender); that person.
He who hesitates is lost.
noun
-
hes
plural
adjective
he
2
American
[hay]
/ heɪ /
Or
heh
noun
-
the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
-
any of the sounds represented by this letter.
He
3
American
Symbol, Chemistry.
HE
4
American
Or
H.E.
H.E.
5
American
abbreviation
-
high explosive. Also HE
-
His Eminence.
-
His Excellency; Her Excellency.
he
1
British
/ iː, hiː /
pronoun
-
refers to a male person or animal
he looks interesting
he's a fine stallion
-
refers to an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody
everybody can do as he likes in this country
-
refers to a person or animal of unknown or unspecified sex
a member of the party may vote as he sees fit
noun
HE
2
British
abbreviation
-
high explosive
-
His Eminence
-
His ( or Her) Excellency
He
3
British
symbol
he
4
British
/ he, heɪ /
noun
he
5
British
/ hiː, heɪ /
interjection
Grammar
Traditionally, the masculine singular pronouns he, his, and him have been used generically to refer to indefinite pronouns like anyone, everyone, and someone ( Everyone who agrees should raise his right hand ) and to singular nouns that can be applied to either gender ( painter, parent, person, teacher, writer, etc.): Every writer knows that his first book is not likely to be a bestseller. This generic use is often criticized as sexist, although many speakers and writers continue the practice. Those who object to the generic use of he have developed various ways of avoiding it. One is to use he/she or she/he (or he or she or she or he ) or the appropriate case forms of these pairs: Everyone who agrees should raise his or her (or her or his or his/her or her/his ) right hand. Forms blending the feminine and masculine pronouns, as s/he, have not been widely adopted, probably because of confusion over how to say them. Another solution is to change the antecedent pronoun or noun from singular to plural so that the plural pronouns they, their, and them can be used: All who agree should raise their right hands. All writers know that their first books are not likely to be bestsellers. See also they .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of he1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English hē; cognate with Dutch hij, Old Saxon hē, Old High German her; cf. her , here ( def. ), it 1
Origin of he2
From Hebrew hē; cognate with Arabic hāʾ hā ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing he
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“We knew when as he got healthier, he was going to be a threat,” St. john Bosco coach Jason Negro said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Students were champing at the bit for somewhere to go," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
When coach JJ Redick announced his starters for the Lakers’ final preseason game Friday night, he was asked if those same players would start opening night Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Gannon blamed the situation on the cost of living crisis, which he said was "pricing out" those in their 20s from enjoying themselves.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Two days after the accident, he takes a turn for the worse.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
He threw scoring passes of eight, 11 and four yards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
He spoke about his many fixed footballing principles but believes the route to accomplishing those ideas must be shaped by the players at his disposal.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
He says for people curious about whales, they should join a whale-watching tour, or watch a nature documentary on TV.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"I always saw him in black, looking very serious and hunched over. He wouldn't say good morning or good evening."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
He turns swiftly, bends, and heaves himself onto the wagon perch.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The study was conducted by Xuhang Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher at IGG working under the supervision of Professor HE Huaiyu.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Recent research from Hepi and Advance HE suggested that 68% of UK students were in paid employment during term time, up from 35% in 2015.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2025
“Judge Engoron is the finder of fact. So HE will decide the credibility of witnesses, among other important issues,” she wrote.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2023
Floundering: YOU deserve better and HE cannot give you better.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 11, 2022
SO HE WAS, three days later, thinner, paler, and not a whit daunted by his two months in a concrete cell.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Kate Larson is also a fan of YA fiction, and she’s especially excited to sell customers “Godly Heathens,” a novel by local author H.E.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2023
"The Congo government of H.E. Kabila, supported by some regional and international actors, gave them free tenancy in North Kivu and Ituri," Museveni said, referring to Congolese provinces.
From Reuters ● Jul. 14, 2023
Based on the novel “The Darling Buds of May” by H.E.
From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
H.E. faithfully prayed the Rosary for those suffering from the virus.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 16, 2021
The letter that you wished me to send H.E.
From The Life of Gordon, Volume II by Demetrius Charles Boulger
“But clearly there’s problems—problems that are still here from 4 years ago. Simply put, hes not it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
She – there are hes, but the disciples I’ve spotted in the wild are predominantly female – is deaf to criticism, immune to self-doubt, ready to spring to action.
From The Guardian ● May 16, 2018
But I wonder if hes being too literal here.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2018
Maybe hes a cipher in the sense that hes a symbol.
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2014
From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow fire. . . . mother of dragons, slayer of hes .
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
However, the centre have said they will "continue to welcome self-guided school visits".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The village formed a youth group in 2011 to manage what they call the "tabu area", and the group leads the effort to plant corals and encourage a healthy ecosystem.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
If a defender comes across to mark him, they risk leaving another attacker unmarked elsewhere.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Asked about those companies, Aurangzeb denied that they were receiving state funding.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
She has scars from her longtime battle with skin lesions, but the new sores don’t appear as fast or as furiously as they had in the past.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Dubois' confidence now will take him into another stratosphere and makes him a very tough man to beat.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The Dolphins’ defense was up to the task against Hamilton’s highly touted quarterback Thaddeus Breaux, intercepting two of his passes and sacking him four times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
But while top-tier high school programs tried to lure him away, it was never a question.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Neighbors did not identify the shooter by name, but recognized him from images posted to the social media accounts of his mother, Shauntai Nickerson.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Caesar’s holster is in a clump beside him.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Caroline Lugo instead ordered them held in lieu of $20 million bail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
But when the Canadian government rejected its plan to sell them to China over concerns about animal welfare, the park's operations said they would have to be euthanised.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
In its report three weeks after the exercise, DN said the recordings came from rental vehicles -- at least two of them Deepal brand cars, made by Chinese state-controlled automaker Changan.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Today many cousins lack the close relationships that allow them to become business partners, which is what they become the moment they jointly inherit an asset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Before the introduction of ether a few months before, surgeons had to employ powerful assistants to hold down patients or restrain them with leather-covered chains.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
When coach JJ Redick announced his starters for the Lakers’ final preseason game Friday night, he was asked if those same players would start opening night Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Prior to his spell in charge of Maritimo, the 38-year-old spent five years working under Jurgen Klopp as an elite development coach at Liverpool, before joining Red Bull Salzburg as Pep Lijnders' number two.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The Dolphins’ defense was up to the task against Hamilton’s highly touted quarterback Thaddeus Breaux, intercepting two of his passes and sacking him four times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Dubois, 29, makes the first defence of his WBO world title after climbing off the canvas twice to stop Wardley in the 11th round of their thrilling encounter in Manchester in May.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The morning after Father Julien gives all his money to a stranger, Joey rises in pain.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
It added the nature of their work reflected the "changing pressures" faced by local families.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"Yes, soldiers from the Home Guard found videos from the vehicles' sensors stored in their systems," Lieutenant Colonel Per Gunnar Grosberghaugen, Norwegian Home Guard spokesperson, confirmed to AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
However, he said it was important to emphasise that many under-30s were "making do" without clubs and instead creating their own events.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Manoa Duwai convinced his village in 2009 to create a protected area within their customary fishing grounds on Fiji's Coral Coast after concerns over the small number and size of fish he was catching.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Some broadcasts feature voices of mothers appealing to their sons to come home.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Though experiences like theirs helped inspire these reforms, both Flynn and Varsha are somewhat sceptical of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
“No mayor has retained the same police commissioner from the administration prior to theirs since 1964,” she said, referring to Tisch, who was elevated under the previous mayor, Eric Adams.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
"We can't live together. Our lives and theirs are completely different; we're not compatible," Cohen said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
“There’s no sense in them buying a car when they could rent one for a few hundred bucks, and it’s theirs forever.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
"I always keep my appointments. No one keeps theirs, nowadays. I ought to know better. How are you, Jake, anyway?"
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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