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

He was part of their front office in 2019 when they won the only World Series in franchise history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

The first point to note about these articles is that they are a notable departure from either of the two prior cases in U.S. history in which a Cabinet officer has been impeached.

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026

About 100 health visitors with the health board have been on strike since February in a row over job grading, saying they were losing up to £9,000 a year as a result.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

Jordon Hudson is suing the owners of a Massachusetts rental home, alleging they shared porch-camera footage of a shirtless Bill Belichick and private information without her permission.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

Their cabins have no running water, so they trek barefoot to the main building to fetch their own.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Another future Hall of Famer, Ivan Rodriguez, blew past both of them, retiring in 2011 with 2,427 games caught.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

“This court has not hesitated to overrule past decisions,” said Walker, even though Congress “could have” chosen to legislatively override them.

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026

"The band turned up at 23:00 had some food and then at about 00:30, four blacked out mini buses turned up outside, and Stevie Wonder was in one of them," he said.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

Millions of older Americans are extending the years in which they travel, spend, relocate, pursue new experiences and actively participate in the economy, and they are doing it with real discretionary power behind them.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

When that happens, she closes the eyes of the dead and prays for them.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

In the hours before Game 1 of the World Series, as the Violent Femmes played “Kiss Off” before their hometown fans in Milwaukee, Bruce Meyer talked about getting blown off by baseball’s owners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

Two state lawmakers from California and Colorado won their bids for Congress by touting their legislative work pushing for artificial intelligence regulations.

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026

"This dispute was about recognising the skilled, vital work health visitors do for families and children in their communities," she said.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

The only open question is which companies will update the model before their competitors do.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Confession is one of the most important sacraments of the Catholic Church—a holy moment in which people can repent their wrongs.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Solea Pfeiffer and Liisi LaFontaine star in the Broadway show about the lengths people are willing to go to protect their family and claim what is rightfully theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

And keep in mind that influencers have an easier time getting into restaurants with impossible-to-get reservations than people like us do, so our experience wouldn’t be similar to theirs, anyways.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

They know the house is not theirs, but they built it, bro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Though experiences like theirs helped inspire these reforms, both Flynn and Varsha are somewhat sceptical of them.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

His knuckles weren’t scarred and swollen like theirs, but his wrists were marked and the palms of his hands were callused.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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