girl
Americannoun
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girls
plural
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a female child, from birth to full growth.
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a young, immature woman, especially formerly, an unmarried one.
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a daughter.
My wife and I have two girls.
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Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a grown woman, especially when referred to familiarly.
She's having the girls over for bridge next week.
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a girlfriend; sweetheart.
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Older Use: Usually Offensive. a female servant, as a maid.
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Older Use: Usually Offensive. a female employee, especially an office assistant.
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a female who is from or native to a given place.
She's a Missouri girl.
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(used with a singular or plural verb) girls,
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a range of sizes from 7 to 14, for garments made for girls.
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a garment in this size range.
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the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.
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Slang. girls, one's breasts (usually preceded by the, my, etc., and primarily used self-referentially by women).
noun
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a female child from birth to young womanhood
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a young unmarried woman; lass; maid
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informal a sweetheart or girlfriend
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informal a woman of any age
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an informal word for daughter
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a female employee, esp a female servant
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derogatory a Black female servant of any age
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informal (usually plural) a group of women, esp acquaintances
Sensitive Note
Some adult women are offended if referred to as a girl, or informally, a gal. However, a group of adult female friends often refer to themselves as the girls, and their “girls night out” implies the company of adult females. Also, a woman may express camaraderie by addressing another woman as girl, as in You go, girl! or Attagirl! Referring to one's female office assistant or housekeeper as the girl or my girl, once in common use, is now considered unacceptable. Working girl, meaning “a woman who works,” girl/gal Friday, meaning “a female office assistant,” and other occupational terms such as career girl and college girl, are also dated and often perceived as insulting. Working girl as a slang term meaning “a prostitute” is sometimes used by female prostitutes as a euphemistic self-reference. See also lady, woman.
Usage
Where does the word girl come from? The word girl, meaning "a female child," originally meant any "child" or "young person," regardless of gender. Girl, for "child," is recorded around 1250–1300. However, the original source of the word is uncertain. Scholars point to Old English words like gyrela, "an item of dress, apparel," presumably of a type worn by and popular with a young person back then. Guess what other word has obscure roots? Boy. Discover why in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of girl
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English gurle, girle, gerle “child, young person”; compare Old English gyrela, gi(e)rela “item of dress, apparel” (presumably worn by the young in the late Old English period, and hence used as a metonym)
Explanation
A girl is a young woman, or a female child. If you have a 3-year-old daughter you have a little girl. Girl comes from the Middle English garl, but no one knows where that word came from. It used to mean a child of either sex, but now it's only used for female children, paired with the word boy. A girl can be very young, or a young woman who's not quite out on her own in the world yet. Adults in relationships who aren't married call their female loves their girlfriend, even when the girl in question is really a woman.
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:
Asked further about what the girl had told her had happened, Price told jurors: "Definitely a kiss and that he said he loved her."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The pair welcomed their first child together, a baby girl in June.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Many of them said, ‘We’ll do it if you do it in English — set in Spain, same ending, the girl dies, no problem, but in English.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity. A standard bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Thank you very much,” Kathy called over to the girl.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
“The upbringing of girls — in London and Paris and Moscow and all the places in between — was a scheme against them,” writes Li.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The European Union's central data regulator on Tuesday said smart glasses should give "clear warnings" when they are recording, after a public outcry in recent months over secretly filmed footage of girls and women.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Among the 109 bodies earlier recovered were 52 men, 42 women and 15 children -- nine girls and six boys -- the initial statement said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The boy was granted conditional bail and must not contact the alleged victims or witnesses, must not be alone with girls under 16 without supervision, and must work with the Youth Justice Service.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
I was hoping Mrs. Brower would finally call us to do something, but she was still across the yard, talking to some of the girls and moving her arms.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
