he/she

American  

[hee-shee] / ˈhiˈʃi /

1. a combined form used as a singular nominative pronoun to denote someone either male or female.

   Each student may begin when he/she is ready.

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Gender

Is he gender-neutral? See he ¹.

Etymology

Origin of he/she

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

“Well, he ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?” she observed.

From Literature

‘Hord hadn’t been with the Red Deer long,’ she said, ‘when a stranger came to their camp. A wanderer from the Willow Clan, crippled by a hunting accident. Or so he said. The Red Deer took him in. But he –’ she hesitated; and suddenly looked younger and much less confident.

From Literature

“How can he—she wouldn’t even be back in the United States yet.”

From Literature

The indicator’s creator reported that it had a better track record predicting the U.S. stock market’s 10-year return than any of the other valuation indicators of which he/she was aware.

From MarketWatch

“I think we can all agree the U.S. Consumer is saying he / she is worried, but as always…consuming in-line to above expectations,” wrote Carey Kaufman, U.S. consumer strategist at Jefferies.

From Barron's