heroine

American  

[her-oh-in] / ˈhɛr oʊ ɪn /

noun

heroines plural

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

Derived Forms

• superheroine
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heroines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of heroine

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

Explanation

A heroine is a real-life or fictional woman who has lots of courage and fights on the side of good, maybe by rescuing a kitten from a tree, slaying an evil dragon, or helping you with your science fair project. In books and movies, the heroine is the woman who is the main character, and in comic books and fantasy novels, heroines often have superpowers that help them accomplish incredible feats. There are heroines in regular life too, like women’s rights activists who fight against sexism, or a brave mother who rescues her child from a burning building. Heroine sounds the same as the addictive drug heroin, but a heroine will save your life, while heroin will probably end it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heroine heroines

Think of it more as an inversion, with a bottom-up view of its heroine Emma Harte’s life viewed through parallel timelines.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

“Moana” became a box office hit, captivating audiences with catchy earworms from Lin-Manuel Miranda and a spunky young heroine who rejected the label of princess.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as demigod Maui, while the titular heroine will be played by newcomer Catherine Laga’aia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

In the show, the heroine shares nightmarish tales alongside Herneval, who appears not as a prince but a sentient book.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

The heroine and Ignatius opened their mouths simultaneously, hers in song, his in a groan.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Like her heroines, no one tells Knoll what to do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

What “Canticle” and “Skylark” get right about their very different heroines and time periods is that change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it benefit everyone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

She has made images of performers such as Charles Dance and Roger Daltrey and Second World War heroines such as Noor Inayat Khan and Violette Szabo.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

Ms. Morrison wanted to infuse opera with new people, new voices, new forms, and stories that didn’t necessarily end with dead heroines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

They get enough of the heroines from everyone else.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

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