heroine

American  

[her-oh-in] / ˈhɛr oʊ ɪn /

noun

1. a woman noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.

   Esther and other biblical heroines.

2. a woman who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.

   Name two women who have been heroines in your life.

3. the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

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heroine British  

/ ˈhɛrəʊɪn /

noun

1. a woman possessing heroic qualities

2. a woman idealized for possessing superior qualities

3. the main female character in a novel, play, film, etc

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Gender

See hero.

Other Word Forms

• superheroine noun

Etymology

Origin of heroine

1650–60; < Latin hērōīnē < Greek hērōī́nē, feminine of hḗrōs hero; -ine ²

Example Sentences

"To be here now, just in touch with the fastest women, That is huge. I am proud of that," insisted Shiffrin after finishing nearly a second slower than Italy's double gold heroine Federica Brignone.

From Barron's

He also enlisted 10 composers, each of whom was assigned an eight-minute scene reflecting a decade in the heroine’s life.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fennell seems to imagine Catherine as a proto-Scarlett in “Gone With the Wind,” except that Brontë didn’t give her flawed heroine as many options.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s a little too awful for me, but I do think we could use less sanitized heroes and heroines in modern love stories.

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s to Raimi and the actors’ credit that they manage to make such an odious character as Bradley actually sympathetic — and so clear a heroine as Linda complex and thorny.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beau ideal
• eidolon
• epitome
• example
• exemplar
• good example
• icon
• ideal
• idol
• model
• paragon
• person to look up to
• role model
• shining example