Showing results for "they"

nominative plural of he.
nominative plural of it.
nominative plural of she.

Definitions

they

[thay] / ðeɪ /

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nominative plural pronoun pron.
nominative singular pronoun pron.

PRONOUN

nominative plural pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

we you

PRONOUN

nominative singular pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

I he it she sie ve xe you ze zie

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for they?

We don’t traditionally think of they as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words. Plural people and things They is perhaps most commonly used as a plural pronoun referring to multiple people, as in Seven people made reservations, and they all showed up at the same time. It can also refer to multiple things, as in I moved the packages so they wouldn’t fall off the table. A singular person They also has a long history of being used to refer to an unspecified individual or to a person whose gender and other personal details are unknown or irrelevant, as in If a student is absent, they must bring in a note when they return to school. Sentences like this sometimes use constructions like he or she, but the use of they has become very common in such instances, with many people preferring they as less awkward and more inclusive. Nonbinary gender expression A use of they that has become more widespread is as a personal pronoun for those who identify as nonbinary or whose gender identity exists between or beyond the spectrum of strictly male or female. Grammatically, it’s used in the same way as the gender-specific terms like he and she, but it’s gender-neutral. You can learn more about this below. themselves In some cases, the word themselves is used as another way of saying they or another form of it. It’s sometimes used in place of they or them after the words as, than, and but, as in They saw girls no older than themselves. It can also be used as an emphatic form of they or them, as in They—the students themselves—wrote the lesson. Singular forms include themself or theirself.

What word can I use instead of they?

They is commonly used as a way to refer to people in general, as in They say that place is haunted. In cases like this, you could replace they with people or any number of similar terms. Or you could avoid using it by constructing the sentence in a more passive way, such as That place is said to be haunted.

What does it mean to use they/them pronouns?

When someone requests to be referred to with they/them pronouns, it means they don’t use the pronouns typically associated with male and female gender identities, like he/him and she/her. Such people may identify as nonbinary or in a number of other ways. Other forms of they are often used along with singular, nonbinary they and them, such as their and themself. How to use they/them pronouns Grammatically speaking, when they is used as a singular pronoun, it still takes a plural verb—are or were, as in They are my favorite person or Any employee who missed the training while they were on vacation still needs to complete it. We do the same thing when we use the singular you with are or were. Interpersonally speaking, the right way to use they/them pronouns is the way that the person you’re referring to prefers them to be used. In some cases, people use other gender-neutral pronouns, such as ze. Some people whose gender identity is fluid or encompasses multiple genders may use a mix of pronouns, such as she/they or they/he, among others.

What kind of pronoun is they?

They is a personal pronoun. It can be either singular or plural. Pronouns are used as substitutes for nouns—they’re another way of referring to a noun without using a specific name. Personal pronouns are used to refer to the one communicating, to the one being addressed, or the one being talked about. In terms of its grammatical function, they is a nominative pronoun, meaning that it’s generally used as the subject of a sentence—the one doing the action—as opposed to the object (the one on the receiving end of some action). The objective form of they is them, as in They asked me to drive them home. They is categorized as a third person pronoun (like he, she, him, her, and them), meaning that it’s used to refer to anyone other than the person doing the addressing or the ones being addressed. In contrast, first person pronouns (like I and me) refer to the speaker or writer themselves. Second person pronouns (you and its other forms) address the person being spoken to or reading. In literature, third-person point of view is a common form of narration in which the events of the story are told using the third person.

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:

they them their theirs

Even less serious offences would stay in magistrates' courts, abolishing defendants' right to ask for a trial by jury when they feel that is their best chance of beig cleared.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Malaysia insists all returnees agreed to voluntary repatriation from detention centres, where Myanmar says they had completed sentences for immigration offences.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

So, if the Braves get that far, would they want to limit Sale to, say, four outs?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

“Our message on these conversions is clear: they don’t work under existing law,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Some people confuse a tamping iron with a crowbar, but they are different tools for different jobs.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

"We will continue taking every step necessary to make Cornell an institution that leads not just in what we say about these issues, but in the work that we do to address them."

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

"But it really complicates what is actually a fairly fundamental part of being human, which is that you are warm and you love your children and you put in place some boundaries around them."

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

When the teachers’ phones sound the all-clear, they lead the children back outside, helping the 2-year-olds up steps that are too high for them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Now Kyaw Myint is worried about them being conscripted -- "not only by the military but also by ethnic armed groups", he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Instead they must look for unusual cases that might back them up.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Originating from the Americas, peppers found their way to Hungary's sun-drenched, fertile river plains around Kalocsa and Szeged in the 16th century.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

“We know Sale is their best pitcher,” Rojas said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

"The UK government remains steadfastly committed to ensuring journalists are able to carry out their work free from threat, intimidation, or violence."

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

"They can be very strong and, in some ways, make good leaders... but there are many deficits to their leadership and it's all about them and not about other people," he added;

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

At the time of Joey’s diagnosis, people with leprosy are taken from their families and forced into isolation.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

People rarely think about money while sipping piña coladas and sailing to exotic destinations, but cruise-line passengers might have noticed a detail that helps explain how those companies make theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Williams was watching the stream on a television as his wife and son were getting ready for bed when a life-changing fortune became theirs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

That’s your issue to grapple with — not theirs.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Alysson's header in the 2-1 defeat by Forest was their first goal in the Premier League this term, with Spurs still searching for theirs.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

At night, however, the apartment was theirs, and it was a place where Fabyan couldn’t interfere in their lives.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

they

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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