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

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

As Ellen Ripley, Sigourney Weaver meets the threat with grit and nerve in a situation where there is nowhere to go and no help coming, a performance that helped define the modern action heroine.

From Los Angeles Times

We burst out of the barracks, into the gray sky, and for a moment I was the heroine of the war.

From Literature

Fourth Wing introduces heroine Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old woman who is thrust into brutal training to become an elite dragon rider.

From BBC

You can’t help rooting for Colleen Hoover heroines, bless their bruised hearts.

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