heroine
Americannoun
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a woman noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.
Esther and other biblical heroines.
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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.
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the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.
noun
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a woman possessing heroic qualities
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a woman idealized for possessing superior qualities
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the main female character in a novel, play, film, etc
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Game of Thrones star plays heroine Lara Croft - a globe-trotting archaeologist - in the upcoming video game adaptation.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Its second season begins with Anna Sawai’s heroine Cate Randa refusing to leave Russell’s retired U.S.
From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026
And Paul’s casting as “The Bachelorette” makes her the first heroine who was not a contestant on a previous season of “The Bachelor.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
Accompanied by her brazen friend Baba, the adult Caithleen leaves for Dublin, where a new life awaits a heroine who proves to be as fearless as the writer who created her.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Death is prophesied in Deirdre’s name, that of a heroine in Irish mythology who took her own life.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
