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he

[hee, ee] / hi, i /
PRONOUN
nominative singular pronoun
Synonyms


Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for he?
We don’t traditionally think of he as having synonyms, but there are some situations in which it can be reworded or replaced with another word or phrase. he himself Sometimes, the phrase he himself is used to emphasize that a person did something entirely by himself or that it was done by him as opposed to others. For example, saying He cast the deciding vote may be a neutral statement, but saying He himself cast the deciding vote indicates that there was some significance to the fact that it was he who did it. him Sometimes a sentence can be reworded to replace the subject he with the equivalent object him. For example, the question “When do you expect he will arrive?” could be reworded as “When do you expect him to arrive?” In this case, it’s a more natural-sounding question, but this kind of rewording can be done for a number of reasons. Him is also commonly used after linking verbs (like is and was) in sentences like It was him that I saw on the train or It is him in that picture.
What can you use instead of the word he?
He is used to stand in for more specific words, like Dr. Harris, Jacob, or the pilot. So, if there’s a chance that using he might be confusing (such as when more than one man is mentioned in the sentence), you can always use the name or title of the person instead of referring to him as he. Take this sentence, for example: “If we invite Mr. Smith’s son, do you think he would come?” The he in this sentence could refer to Mr. Smith or his son, so it may be more clear to reword it as: “If we invite Mr. Smith’s son, do you think his son would come?” (or by replacing he with Mr. Smith, if that’s what you mean). Of course, there are a number of other ways to say this, including using a specific name. In some situations, it can be considered impolite to refer to someone as he or him when that person is in your presence—especially when you haven’t already acknowledged them or addressed them by name. To avoid this, it’s always best to refer to a person by name, especially when it’s the first time you’re referring to them.
Is he a pronoun?
He 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, to the person being addressed, or the person being talked about. He is categorized as a third person pronoun (like she, they, him, her, and them), meaning it’s used to refer to anyone other than the person doing the communicating or the people being addressed. In contrast, first person pronouns (like I and me) refer to the speaker or writer themselves, and the second person pronoun you is used to address the person being spoken to or reading. He is used as a subject. Its object counterpart is him.

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:

Since gaining more influence, he has emphasized cutting costs to boost profits and continue returning capital to shareholders.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Warsh has been explicit that he isn’t pre-committing, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

He is on the executive committee of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, which hasn’t had a member of parliament since the 1990s, but said he was “quite satisfied” with the government’s cicada effort.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

“They phrase it as, we’re going to do a little bit of a hands-on screen exercise,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Joey holds her breath as he reaches inside the basket.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“But clearly there’s problems—problems that are still here from 4 years ago. Simply put, hes not it.”

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 31, 2025

She – there are hes, but the disciples I’ve spotted in the wild are predominantly female – is deaf to criticism, immune to self-doubt, ready to spring to action.

From The Guardian May 16, 2018

He has been givin the keys to the car, since hes been drafted.

From New York Times Dec. 14, 2014

Maybe hes a cipher in the sense that hes a symbol.

From Salon Mar. 9, 2014

Hes smart and figgers out all kinds of things so he can have a house and food and hes a good swimmer.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

Scientists determined they were orange-winged cicadas that had previously been found in the Philippines.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Harp and her brother were close as young children but drifted apart as they got older.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 30, 2026

They want to ensure the people they’re hiring really know what they’re talking about and are who they say they are.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

This time, they loudly booed the French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, who was meeting privately with the mayor of Le Porge.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 30, 2026

They look like gentlemen, or at least they do in the oil portraits that they have painted of themselves to boost their social status.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

The saga kicked off in April 2025 when Jeremy Ford claimed his father was incapacitated, triggering a clause that would allow him to buy out his father’s interest in the family entities.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

“He was unflappable. It would fire him up. He would smile at it, and say, ‘OK, let’s go!’”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 30, 2026

The other was that the summer’s better inflation readings hadn’t convinced him the underlying trend was improving.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

He spent a year at Goldman Sachs as the financial crisis hit but decided it wasn’t for him.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 30, 2026

The iron throws him flat on his back, but as his men come running through the gunpowder smoke, he sits up.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Jeremy Ford and his siblings sued in July, seeking to force a transfer which would give them control over the votes and prevent liquidation.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Their mother taught them at home using educational materials written from a biblical worldview.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 30, 2026

The audience that allowed them to monetize their creations in the first place had now led to creative paralysis.

From Salon Aug. 30, 2026

"I wish I could take them back but it's just who I am as a person and I'm learning every single day how to work around this."

From BBC Aug. 30, 2026

Unlike most wires, most neurons have many, many plugs so they can both relay messages and switch them.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Ford made his name investing in distressed or undervalued banks, often alongside famed corporate raider Ronald Perelman, and then flipping them for a big profit.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

The saga kicked off in April 2025 when Jeremy Ford claimed his father was incapacitated, triggering a clause that would allow him to buy out his father’s interest in the family entities.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

In the months since Russian President Vladimir Putin last met his most important strategic partner, China’s Xi Jinping, their wartime fortunes have sharply diverged.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

In late July, Ford withheld his votes for the entire board at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, which would mean three directors didn’t get a majority of votes.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

When he’s done all he can, he returns to his perch on the roof.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

The ubiquity of AI-assisted answering—not to mention the risk of hiring candidates who might be lying about where they live, or even working for North Korea—has companies upping their screening tactics.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Independent investors, for their part, have seemed little bothered.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

Four of Ford’s children—including son Jeremy, who took over as chair from Ford in 2025—are suing to wrest away control of their father’s more-than-26% stake in Hilltop, worth some $600 million.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

“But it’s nothing compared to the pressure that regular, everyday Filipinos have to face providing for their families.”

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

The doctor says Joey needs to be separated from Renato and their daughter, Cynthia.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Bournemouth have also been handed a tie against the Italians, although theirs will be on home soil.

From BBC Aug. 28, 2026

“Ballots are an extension of our voices and we’re asking the court to ensure that every person has the right to make theirs heard.”

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 26, 2026

Perhaps to their point, you aren’t burdened by your own children — don’t allow yourself to be burdened by theirs.

From MarketWatch Aug. 19, 2026

StubHub’s user agreement grants the company the right to serve legal notices by email but requires customers to send theirs by certified mail.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 11, 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




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