they
Americanpronoun
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them,
objective
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their,
possessive
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theirs
possessive
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nominative plural of he, she, and it.
He needed a ride, and she had her car, so they left together.
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people in general.
They say he's rich.
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nominative singular pronoun.
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(used to refer to a generic or unspecified person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): A person may enlist only if they are over 18.
Whoever is of voting age, whether they are interested in politics or not, should vote.
A person may enlist only if they are over 18.
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(used to refer to a specific or known person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context): My best friend from high school is famous now—too bad we didn’t stay in touch after they moved to California.
The victim refused to testify at the trial because they feared for their life.
My best friend from high school is famous now—too bad we didn’t stay in touch after they moved to California.
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(used to refer to a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
Quinn is waiting for summer vacation to adopt a puppy, so they will have more time to get their new family member properly settled.
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pronoun
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refers to people or things other than the speaker or people addressed
they fight among themselves
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refers to unspecified people or people in general not including the speaker or people addressed
in Australia they have Christmas in the summer
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not_standard refers to an indefinite antecedent such as one, whoever, or anybody
if anyone objects, they can go
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an archaic word for those
blessed are they that mourn
Grammar
Traditional grammars have limited the use of they to refer only to a plural antecedent. These grammars recommended using the singular masculine he as if it were generic, referring to a man, woman, or humanity universally: Each person should bring his own lunch. Later, when generic he was criticized as sexist, he or she began to be used in its place. But in spite of its prescriptive prohibition, the pronoun they is also used to refer to a single person in three distinct ways. The oldest type, and the one most accepted by style guides, is when they refers to a generic, unspecified individual, or to a person whose gender and other personal details are unknown or irrelevant. Generic and singular indefinite they and related case forms their and them are found in respected works, from Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors (There's not a man I meet but doth salute me/As if I were their well-acquainted friend) to Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (If everybody minded their own business … the world would go round a deal faster than it does), as well as in the writing of authors like Shelley, Swift, Scott, Dickens, and Austen. Singular they is also used as a pronoun for a known, specified person, particularly when the individual is named with a job title or other noun phrase, instead of a proper name: My teacher had their car stolen. This specific singular they looks similar to the generic singular they, but is somewhat less acceptable in conservatively edited English. Nonbinary singular use of they, their, and them has become widely accepted in the 21st century. It has become much more common for people in general to announce which pronoun they use or to ask what pronoun another person uses. Some people, especially nonbinary, genderqueer, and gender-nonconforming people, don't like being referred to with either the traditionally masculine he or the feminine she. In those cases, nonbinary singular they is used as one alternative: When Tyler was applying to college, they indicated their intended major on the application. In addition to he, she, and singular they, there are also gender-neutral neopronouns like ze used for this purpose. Singular they can also be used when a person’s pronouns aren’t known, or to avoid assigning gender, and some style guides have been recommending this usage since the mid-2010s. And although they may be used as a singular pronoun, they still takes a plural verb, analogous to the use of "you are" to refer to one person: The student brought in a note to show why they were absent. See also he 1.
Usage
It was formerly considered correct to use he, him, or his after pronouns such as everyone, no-one, anyone, or someone as in everyone did his best, but it is now more common to use they, them, or their, and this use has become acceptable in all but the most formal contexts: everyone did their best
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of they
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English thei, they, from Old Norse their “they”; replacing Old English hī(e); cognate with Old English thā, plural of thæt; see that
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:
Supporters of Assembly Bill 1901 say the new law will give parents more information for decision-making and pressure manufacturers to avoid using ingredients they wouldn’t want to disclose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
And they forecast that this year’s event could be the strongest on record, spiking sea temperatures far above normal.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
Ask anyone in healthcare, and they will say if you improve social care it would take the pressure of hospitals and allow people a better quality of life.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Instead of creating new content, world models learn how the physical world actually works so they can simulate and predict what happens.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
The timing of these tests is important to the patients of Carville, because the clinical rules are clear: Residents may not leave until they receive twelve consecutive negative tests.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Critics also say the hourly fees paid to arbitrators provide them with a financial incentive to rule in Kaiser’s favor so they will be selected for future cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Hundreds of them had been there for more than three months.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
"The public needs to be able to trust them to do their job."
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Muse, Instinct and agents like them promise to make your life easier by planning vacations, sorting calendars and cancelling subscription plans.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The guards forbid the prisoners from watching the planes, but Father Julien hears them.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Many companies and other organizations, including some hospitals and physician groups, require customers or patients to take their complaints to private arbitration rather than to court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
After the eight-point reinstatement but with the 19-point penalty still in place, the Foxes are 17 points behind Essex and will be relegated if their appeal is unsuccessful.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The problem surfaces when pilots alter their preprogrammed flight plan following a missed approach, according to Boeing.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
“An absence of flexibility around proprietary information could put manufacturers in a difficult position with their suppliers or lead to public disclosure of legitimate confidential business information,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The people of the Philippines had their own traditions, religions, chiefdoms, and belief systems based on cultural, linguistic, and ethnic groups.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Williams was watching the stream on a television as his wife and son were getting ready for bed when a life-changing fortune became theirs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
That’s your issue to grapple with — not theirs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
And here, Walker and Auen offer theirs, fashioning academia into a key that opens a portal to the past, present and future.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
"My grief can't compare to theirs, nor to the officers and staff who've worked closely with Matty and Tom for a long time."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Mom and Dad are nearly finished with theirs.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
