heroine

[ her-oh-in ]

noun

1. a woman noted for courageous acts or nobility of character:

   Esther and other biblical heroines.

2. a woman who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal:

   Name two women who have been heroines in your life.

3. the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

heroine

/ ˈhɛrəʊɪn /

noun

1. a woman possessing heroic qualities
2. a woman idealized for possessing superior qualities
3. the main female character in a novel, play, film, etc

Gender Note

See hero.

Other Words From

• super·hero·ine noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heroine¹

1650–60; < Latin hērōīnē < Greek hērōī́nē, feminine of hḗrōs hero; -ine ²

Example Sentences

But a woman who survived one of the massacres has appeared on Algerian television, alleging that the book’s heroine – named Fajr – is based on her own personal story.

From BBC

In this year's John Lewis advert, the heroine, Sally, is seen frantically doing last-minute shopping for her sister.

From BBC

“So here I am, starring in a movie where I’m literally playing a heroine with one of the biggest directors — Black or white — of our generation,” she writes.

From Los Angeles Times

Farrow talks about her acting career as though she were recalling a Charlotte Bronte novel about an insecure heroine surviving a series of dangerous scrapes and nefarious characters.

From Los Angeles Times

“I feel like the women in her work were always messy and more complex and they were quite flawed or as buttoned up as the rom-com heroines of Hollywood’s golden age,” Kaplan says.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beau ideal
• eidolon
• epitome
• example
• exemplar
• good example
• icon
• ideal
• idol
• model
• paragon
• person to look up to
• role model
• shining example