heroine

[her-oh-in]

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.

heroine

/ 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

Gender Note

See hero.

Other Word Forms

• superheroine noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heroine¹

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

Example Sentences

Rambunctious and astute, the toddler heroine of the sublimely beautiful animated film “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” first communicates in voiceover from the void of nothingness before birth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

George Cukor’s black-and-white vision traipses its heroines through dress fittings, manicures and facials, day drinking and backstabbing all the way, save for an interruption by a Technicolor fashion show.

Read more on Salon

Since both Han and Vallade are parents, their toddler heroine resonated strongly with them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The heroine of “The House Without Windows” is a young girl named Eepersip who runs away from home to live contentedly with her animal friends in the woods.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Though Hale’s crude aping of Harold Lloyd is disappointing, the rest of the cast acquit themselves admirably—no one more so than La Plante as the sympathetic heroine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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