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Shirley

American  
[shur-lee] / ˈʃɜr li /

noun

  1. James, 1596–1666, English dramatist.

  2. William, 1694–1771, English governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony 1741–56: urged assault on Louisburg.

  3. a city on the S shore of Long Island, in SE New York.

  4. a male or female given name: a family name taken from an Old English placename.


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.

Shirley rose to fame in 2025 with shady videos claiming to expose daycare fraud in Minnesota.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

To help bring his vision to life, Riley enlisted costume designer Shirley Kurata, the Oscar-nominated stylist behind the equally surreal "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will all return to the new series when it launches in the autumn.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Peeking inside, Shirley got goose bumps from the cold.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

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