we
Americanpronoun
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us,
objective
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our,
possessive
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ours
possessive
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nominative plural of I.
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(used to denote oneself and another or others).
We have two children. In this block we all own our own houses.
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(used to denote people in general).
the marvels of science that we take for granted.
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(used to indicate a particular profession, nationality, political party, etc., that includes the speaker or writer).
We in the medical profession have moral responsibilities.
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Also called the royal we. (used by a sovereign, or by other high officials and dignitaries, in place of I in formal speech).
We do not wear this crown without humility.
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Also called the editorial we. (used by editors, writers, etc., to avoid the too personal or specific I or to represent a collective viewpoint).
As for this column, we will have nothing to do with shady politicians.
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you (used familiarly, often with mild condescension or sarcasm, as in addressing a child, a patient, etc.).
We know that's naughty, don't we? It's time we took our medicine.
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(used in the predicate following a copulative verb).
It is we who should thank you.
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(used in apposition with a noun, especially for emphasis).
We Americans are a sturdy lot.
pronoun
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refers to the speaker or writer and another person or other people
we should go now
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refers to all people or people in general
the planet on which we live
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when used by editors or other writers, and formerly by monarchs, a formal word for I 1
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( as noun )
he uses the royal we in his pompous moods
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informal used instead of you with a tone of persuasiveness, condescension, or sarcasm
how are we today?
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of we
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English wē; cognate with Dutch wij, German wir, Old Norse vēr, Gothic weis
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:
Please look into this so we do not endanger everyone we are trying to protect,” the nurse wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
“If we can’t use our base when we have a contingency, what’s the point of having the base and, frankly, the point of the alliance?” he said on Fox News.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
"We have a really clear philosophy around how we can be competitive in arguably the most challenging league in the world," Brighton sporting director Mike Cave told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Hartnett: One of the first days we were there, they took me out on a whale-watching tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Even today, we don't talk about a lover who's been dumped as feeling "broken-brained."
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
But, darn, is he important: “For us to win the World Series,” Roberts said, “he’s got to be a relevant part of this equation … I’ve got to trust him.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
"I feel angry. We're incredibly let down; we feel like everyone's failed us," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
"We feel that a presidency-led decision gives us the best chance of a strong and ambitious outcome at COP31," Australia's climate minister Chris Bowen said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Is he coming with us now?” she asked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"I think you have been shown that the subsequent history and progress of the case only warrant us in saying that physically, the recovery was quite complete," says Dr. Harlow.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“Let’s be real, right? Our postseason is going to rely on our pitching,” Muncy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
“If we can’t use our base when we have a contingency, what’s the point of having the base and, frankly, the point of the alliance?” he said on Fox News.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
She said support from all over Ireland was "propping up our community right now; we have never seen support and solidarity like it".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
"The UK Mission, Jerusalem is independent, operational and will continue to deliver vital services and our work with the Palestinian people," Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Someday I hope you will come to our lovely country,” she writes.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“Keeping kids safe requires rigorous independent evaluations like ours, and we hope OpenAI will engage on the substance of what we found, rather than trying to sow doubt on our methodology.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Just imagine: having to stop right in the middle of the season like that. It's unbearable for a company like ours," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
“I didn’t really know anything about competition reality shows, but now I can see that ours, with the production value and the way it’s shot and the theatricality, is so different to the other ones.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
My wife essentially says that because we’re married, our retirement savings are ours, not mine.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Our family had a part of those marshlands that was just ours and nobody else’s.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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.
