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

The greatest victories in healthcare are when we avoid suffering altogether.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

We might have better luck if we remembered what we are trying to find.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"We've reached a point where we obviously need companies in the industry to step up and do more to address AI safety issues," Smith said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

But we cannot cut healthcare costs without cutting healthcare — unless we get ahead of disease.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. Maybe we can get her to close the shop early?”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

It’s more affordable than New York, and it’s meaningful to us.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

When I was 5, Mom had enough and she moved us back to New York, to an apartment on Central Park West with an alley view.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"It was a win at Anfield. It was a show of how much it means to us."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Neither of us was interested in bringing the law into our sacred love, which was charged with more laughter and sweetness than, I think, either of us had imagined possible for ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

“That doesn’t really tell us much,” she says, deflated.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

For 20 minutes, we pressed on his chest and pushed medicines, but despite our best efforts, we could not revive him.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Today, my wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and I divide our time between homes in New York and Spain’s Mallorca island, overlooking the Mediterranean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The park, in the Atlanta suburb of Austell, Ga., is “a significant part of our tourism landscape, drawing visitors from across our county, our state, and the Southeast,” Cupid wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

"We are looking at Rwanda in the context of a continent and we have ambitions to bring in our African brothers and sisters to participate. We have had many other big events."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Phineas is twenty-six years old, unmarried, and five feet, six inches tall, short for our time but about average for his.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

“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

It shows us that ours is the inheritance of great heroes, and that we should be proud—that we should be intensely proud—of where we come from.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

I tracked down two New Jersey record stores whose sites said they’d purchase all types of albums, so we carted ours to them.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 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

Our neighbor’s house had a larger yard than ours, with what looked like good grass.

From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen

we

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words