heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən  ˈhir- 

ˈhe-rə-

1

a

: a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability

b

: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities

American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks

remembered as the heroine of the flood

2

a

: the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work

the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

b

: the central female figure in an event or period

Examples of heroine in a Sentence

The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.

Recent Examples on the Web

In this mix of home-invasion terror and slasher picture, Kate Siegel puts a different spin on the usual horror heroine as an author unable to hear or speak but who has plenty of gumption when she's stalked in her home by a masked killer. 66. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

Director Satoshi Kon uses the medium to his advantage, to be sure, utilizing the reality-bending possibilities of animation to take viewers inside his heroine's paranoid, fractured headspace. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024

Inside His 'Intimate' and 'Great' Life with Blake Lively and Their Family & Juliet imagines what would happen if the title heroine from William Shakespeare's classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet would have survived and gotten a second chance at life and love on her own terms. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024

During a search of the car, meth, heroine, IDs not belonging to the suspects and paraphernalia were located. —Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən 

1

: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring

2

: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities

3

: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period