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

Our titular heroine is only 13 years old when her escapade begins – a little more mature than most of the director’s protagonists, but still innocent enough not to be jaded.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

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

Kerewin is a memorable heroine, a chain-smoking, stumpy, frizzy-haired genius of a woman who can outfight, outfish and outwit anyone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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

“I didn’t say differently, I said different. I want to go back different. I, Claudia Kincaid, want to be different when I go back. Like being a heroine is being different.”

From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

As heroines Brenda and Cindy, respectively, Hall and Faris were daffy, dopey and committed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

What interests you about the struggles of your 20-something heroines?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 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

He was the son of a distinguished king, a nephew of two well-known mythological heroines, and the brother of three.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

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