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:
"But to me, the more exciting question is, can we link aging clocks to a lifestyle factor that can be modified in time to slow aging?"
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
“In Mexico,” Venegas said, “when you’re eating we say, ‘Buen provecho,’ which is like ‘Enjoy your food,’ No matter who it is, no matter who you’re walking by.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us," said Erasmus.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Being able to make individual frequencies stronger or weaker gives us much more control over the signals we produce, because different applications will need different combinations of frequencies," said Dr. Peters.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Cleaned my room and read five chapters of the book we were assigned in English.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"This allows us to see whether sleep is distinctively associated with aging clocks derived from multiple omics and molecular layers."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
“All the running backs, really, I feel like it’s going to benefit us a lot,” Hampton said of the offense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us," said Erasmus.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
A few students walking down the hall holding oboes turn and look at us.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"We are measuring it with a completely new tool for this type of galaxy, demonstrating that this method also works beyond our own galaxy."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
She added: "We initially had to play inside in darkness with the curtains closed before getting the UV-resistant film on our windows."
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“We feel a strong sense of responsibility that comes with our unique position in global trade and will work diligently to build a trustworthy platform that consumers can rely on over the long run.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
McHale’s actual wedding was earlier this month in Newport, Rhode Island—the same week my fiancé and I were there trying to escape our own wedding-planning stresses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
I stand to the left of him, stroking Belle, our gray mule.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"Only studies like ours offer an overview of these traditions which bear witness to genuine know-how and diverse traditions."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
I have four kids — two are mine and two are my wife’s — but they are all ours in every meaningful sense.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
"Back then, the settlers were living alongside us, and we coexisted peacefully. They lived their lives and we lived ours," he told me.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Someone who joined us in sharing our heartbreak on social media when Kobe Bryant died in 2020, calling him “a friend and a fan of ours, full of life and taken from us too soon.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But her farm was right behind ours, so I couldn’t pretend I had to go in another direction.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
