heroine

[her-oh-in]

noun

a woman noted for courageous acts or nobility of character: Esther and other biblical heroines.

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.

the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

Compare hero(defs 1–3).

Origin of heroine

1650–60; < Latin hērōīnē < Greek hērōī́nē, feminine of hḗrōs hero; see -ine²

Related formssu·per·her·o·ine, noun

Can be confusedheroin heroine

Usage note

See hero.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for super-heroine

super-heroine

noun

a fictional woman character with superhuman abilities or magical powers, wearing a distinctive costume, and fighting against evil

heroine

noun

a woman possessing heroic qualities

a woman idealized for possessing superior qualities

the main female character in a novel, play, film, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for super-heroine

heroine

1650s, from Latin heroine, heroina (plural heroinae) "a female hero, a demigoddess" (e.g. Medea), from Greek heroine, fem. of heros (see hero (n.1)). As "principal female character" in a drama or poem, from 1715.