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:
At the wedding reception, he stood up with a champagne glass and called it “the best wedding present” a father ever got to give, and said we knew we would use it wisely.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
“I just thought we needed a spark,” LaFleur said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“Half of them supported me, half of them thought, ‘No, we can’t do anything.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
And the fact that a supermarket now feels obliged to assure us it won’t charge extra because we seem hurried or financially comfortable suggests how strange our expectations have become.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
After a month of planting, we watch, wait for the crops to grow.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A direct listing “is a cleaner, quicker way for us to become a publicly traded company.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
And the fact that a supermarket now feels obliged to assure us it won’t charge extra because we seem hurried or financially comfortable suggests how strange our expectations have become.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
She says dad pressured her and she never wanted to give us that much.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
"Last year, there were tourists who were taking pictures of us, which was uncomfortable," she added.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
I don’t think they will last; none of us do.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“This supports our view heading into October that back-end yields were likely approaching a peak, and that the equal weight S&P was the more attractive expression of the broadening trade.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
“It goes far beyond Pizookie in terms of what’s driving our traffic, meaning our investments in food, our upgrades to our service…the remodels that we’ve done,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“I don’t think there’s anything similar about our paths,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
The store, meanwhile, gets a rather detailed account of our preferences.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
The gift that Abigail gave our family didn’t come with any warnings.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"This study highlights why it's so important for a molecular technology development lab like ours to keep looking to nature for inspiration," Shipman says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Investors need to actively protect ours, Jacob Bornstein and David Tenen write.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
But “the $100 level is ours for awhile,” he said — regardless of any new attacks, and maybe even for some time after hostilities ease.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
The shame in this story was never his, and it was never ours.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
Before long, I was lugging a basket of food across our field to the Rowans’ small spread, which backed onto ours.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
