- nominative plural of I.
we
Americanpronoun
-
us,
objective
-
our,
possessive
-
ours
possessive
-
nominative plural of I.
-
(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
-
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
-
-
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
-
-
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:
"The truth is out there, the evidence is there, we just need help putting it in front of the right people to get this justice for Toby that's needed," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“We have a friend who needs a house, and we always give a lot to Doctors Without Borders,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Her colleague says, "I think that's 2pm" - the time we agreed to end the interview.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
"So that we remember Sir David for all of the work he did for championing people with learning disabilities in Southend, and then obviously across the country, through the Music Man Project's expansion."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
We’ll have a nice meal when we leave this town and camp for the night.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"These hearing tests give us that baseline and allow us to start asking how noises from ships, boats, aircraft and coastal construction might affect seals and sea lions."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Last winter, Iryna, who asked us not to use her surname, says her three-year-old daughter Polina found it hard to cope.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
So, this game will tell us a lot about where Arsenal are and how they have recovered from that Brighton defeat.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The ensuing camera shots—we all know the vocabulary—tell us that the three of them are being surveilled from above and followed at street level into the L.A. crowds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
And then she blows us a kiss and says, “I’ll be back before you know it…”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"It's crucial that the first phase of our talks under the Trade and Investment Consultations delivers tangible outcomes," Sefcovic said on X, posting a photo together with Wang.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Asked by a reporter about Musk's allegations, Akash declined to comment and only said, "We want to be heads down and deliver value to our Indian consumers."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
This is all going on high up in the stratosphere, far above the troposphere - where our weather actually happens.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Let’s not throw any more complications our way.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
On either side of the fire, we cocoon beneath our blankets.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
“And because nearly 2,000 people are still inside who have not died, and whose lives are still ours to fight for.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Its sensory world and cognitive architecture are profoundly different from ours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 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
But its good witchery also contextualizes the quest for sanity in mad times like ours with comforting observations about occultism’s role during eras of social upheaval.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Art classes everywhere are sending us big boxes crammed with paper chain to add to ours.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
