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

Parts of Herefordshire for instance have only received a tenth of the rainfall they would normally have seen by mid-October so far this month.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

After the children were taken into custody by the Department of Children and Family Services last year they were “scared to go to the park because they hadn’t been outside,” Teymouri said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Tofino approached each of his handlers in turn as they knelt in shallow water and stroked his sides.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Officials said they have not yet uncovered any evidence that the information has been made public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

They still have no idea where they are headed or what they are doing there, only that they’re involved in some sort of cultural military organization.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

But when the Canadian government rejected its plan to sell them to China over concerns about animal welfare, the park's operations said they would have to be euthanised.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Caroline Lugo instead ordered them held in lieu of $20 million bail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Today many cousins lack the close relationships that allow them to become business partners, which is what they become the moment they jointly inherit an asset.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

It was a set-up so convoluted that it's doubtful that even Ross, who has been permanently paranoid about being murdered in plain sight, rumbled them.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

“You one of them little high school girls that be following Ford around?” she says before going back to her book.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"They were exploring their new habitat, coming over and participating in sessions, eating and interacting with enrichment. So those were all really positive signs from the get-go, and we've just seen progress since then."

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Students who left California but did not confirm their transfer to another school also were affected, dating back to 2006.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

When they leave an asset to their children, parents have confidence the siblings will cooperate as joint owners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Their bodies, however, were not found for another week, when their families were able to identify them.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

They have no prior notice that they are wanted or needed in the national military, but they arrive at their designated stations as requested.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“No mayor has retained the same police commissioner from the administration prior to theirs since 1964,” she said, referring to Tisch, who was elevated under the previous mayor, Eric Adams.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

"We can't live together. Our lives and theirs are completely different; we're not compatible," Cohen said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

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

Pindar calls the lyre theirs as well as Apollo’s, “the golden lyre to which the step, the dancer’s step, listens, owned alike by Apollo and the violet-wreathed Muses.”

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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