Shirley

American

[shur-lee] / ˈʃɜr li /

noun

James, 1596–1666, English dramatist.
William, 1694–1771, English governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony 1741–56: urged assault on Louisburg.
a city on the S shore of Long Island, in SE New York.
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.

It said someone named Shirley had asked him to buy Klondike bars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Before last’s year’s special election, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber issued a similar warning about the delays.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Dame Shirley Bassey has revealed she will no longer be replying to fan mail - after having hand surgery.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“Many of those firms are not looking for individual, bespoke solutions to process different asset classes,” said Tito Shirley, head of middle office solutions at FIS.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

When the lunch bell sounded, Shirley raced to be the first in line and waited impatiently for the new girl.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023