my
pronoun
(a form of the possessive case of I used as an attributive adjective).
my
1 American
[mahy]
/ maɪ /
pronoun
interjection
my-
2
American
my
1
British
/ maɪ /
determiner
-
of, belonging to, or associated with the speaker or writer (me)
my own ideas
do you mind my smoking?
-
used in various forms of address
my lord
my dear boy
-
used in various exclamations
my goodness!
interjection
MY
2
British
abbreviation
my
3
British
abbreviation
my-
4
British
combining form
Grammar
See me.
Usage
What does my- mean? My- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “muscle.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy. My- comes from the Greek mŷs, meaning “muscle” and “mouse.” Mouse? You read that right. Discover why at our entry for muscle!My- is a variant of myo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use myo- article.
Etymology
Origin of my
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English mī, variant of mīn, Old English mīn; see mine 1
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.
See Examples For:
"I couldn't walk. I couldn't move my left arm or leg. Everything happened so fast," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
In my journalism career, I have had some tough days at the office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
In my hometown, Seattle, our Paramount Theatre hosts Silent Movie Mondays quarterly, accompanying each screening with a live performance on the venue’s original Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
"My path really begins in that little church in Mondolfo in the Marche region, where, from the time I was a child, I would go with my mother to help clean that building," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
But I guess that’s not the way it works in real life, because instead of focusing on the Flash, I find my mind straying back to my mom and grandma again.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
While the public relations effort to mold Hillary into a traditional my- heart-belongs-to-hubby First Lady means that campaign insiders are reluctant to publicly acknowledge her substantive role, her imprint on the staff shake-up seems clear.
From Time Magazine Archive
“How could I tie my- self up? Why would I do that?”
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
This church has high beauty and value, but I will spare the reader a presentation of details which I my- self had no opportunity to master.
From A Little Tour in France by Henry James
I frown the while, and perchance wind up my watch, or play with my- some rich jewel.
From Twelfth Night; or What You Will by William Shakespeare
For my- self, I confess that I swallowed my portion of fish as it was — raw and bleeding.
From The Survivors of the Chancellor by Jules Verne
Pelt added: “She was MY sister and protector.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2025
“I’ve seen the doc and listened to the podcasts and OH MY GOD.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2024
The programme will be renamed Love Songs with Michael Ball - but the singer said he wanted to "ensure that this won't be just MY show, but OUR show".
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
AS MY 7-YEAR-OLD daughter and I walk up to the entrance, we can smell saltwater from the Thea Foss Waterway and the aroma of jerk chicken coming from Gigo’s Jamaican Grill food truck.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2023
MY GRANDMOTHER, MY BABCI, WAS what mother diplomatically called eccentric and my father less diplomatically called meshuggeneh.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
