we

[wee] / wi /

PRONOUN

nominative plural pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

they you

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for we?

We don’t traditionally think of we as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words. _____ and I We’s main job is to serve as a way of not having to name every person in a group of two or more people. Sometimes, though, it’s best to be clear by naming them. Instead of saying We walked home together, you could say Emily, Dave, and I walked home together. all of us The phrase all of us can replace we as the subject of the sentence in some situations. This phrasing is often used to emphasize the entirety of the group that’s present, as in All of us wanted to be here to say goodbye. us Sometimes, you can reword a sentence that uses the object form us to instead use the subject form we, or vice versa. For example, instead of saying Luckily, we weren’t affected by the storm, you could say Luckily, the storm didn’t affect us. ourselves In some cases, the word ourselves is used as another way of saying we. For example, it’s common to say things like We should think for ourselves. Ourselves is also sometimes used in place of we after the words as, than, and but, as in children no older than ourselves. we ourselves Sometimes, you might use the phrase we ourselves to emphasize that something was done by the group that you’re part of as opposed to others. For example, saying We cast the deciding votes may be a neutral statement, but saying We ourselves cast the deciding votes indicates that there was some significance to the fact that it was your group who did it. you We is sometimes used in place of you in a way that’s sometimes intended to be more polite, such as when giving someone an assignment, as in We should do that by Friday. It can also be used in place of you in a way that’s condescending or sarcastic, as in We don’t want to be too hasty, do we? the royal we The word we is famously used in some cases by sovereign rulers as a formal way of saying I, as if they are speaking for the entire nation. Some people use the royal we to be funny. the editorial we This is the we that we editors use when we’re speaking in a general voice, especially as a way to avoid I, which is often seen as too personal (especially when the writer’s voice, opinion, or identity is not relevant). This is often similar in function to general use of you and one. (For an example, see the very first sentence in this section.)

What can you use instead of the word we?

In cases when you want to avoid speaking for a group, you can just say I. There are ways that you can acknowledge part of the group but not all of it. For example, you could say something like I believe—as many of us do—that this is a good idea.

What kind of pronoun is we?

We is a personal pronoun. 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 speaker (first person), to the person being addressed (second person), or the person being talked about (third person). We is categorized as a first person pronoun because it refers to the group of people who are speaking or writing—addressing others.

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:

we us our ours

"Diet is one of the most powerful, modifiable levers we have in medicine, and this study gives us a molecular framework to start using it more precisely."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

“Canadians, we sound like Americans, we dress like Americans, but as a society we’re much more European.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

"Paradoxically, by placing additional constraints on the unknown absorber, we might have made the mystery even more intriguing," said Janusz J. Petkowski of Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

"Sometimes we talk for two hours and lose track of time, suddenly remembering that we have to do groceries or pick up children from school."

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

If we were cattle, we’d be heading all the way to Kansas.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

"That told us this isn't just about what patients eat. Something is fundamentally different about how their gut handles oxalate."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

Studies, external suggest many of us Bruxers do it because of stress - but why do our jaws carry the burden of our everyday lives?

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

"For us Formula 1 fans, it's really great to have a race at home!" says Rodrigo Gil, a 30-year-old engineer from Madrid, as he watches free practice from a grandstand at Turn 8.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” Coxon wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026

Rue and I look at the screen together; the letters and numbers in the link are in bright blue, waiting impatiently for us to click.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"Everyone notices how we finish each other's sentences, how we move our heads or walk similar," Meena says.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

"We fled wearing the clothes on our backs. And we took our children, as much as we could manage."

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

"I used to have complete faith in our country," says Lyubov.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

"We express our sorrow and dismay at the deaths of 16 elderly people in this tragedy," authorities in the municipality of Pitrufquen said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

We were both wearing short-sleeved shirts, and our elbows touched.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

He said the premium still felt like a "death tax" and the family were being "penalised through no fault of ours".

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The messages prompted a quick response from the state’s governor, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham, who said that “New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate—it’s been ours since before the United States existed.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Dolly was one of us, ours, but of course she was also much more.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Only studies like ours offer an overview of these traditions which bear witness to genuine know-how and diverse traditions."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

They are about the size of ours, but made of rushes woven together.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

we

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words