they

[they] / ðeɪ /

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

The U.S. dollar is likely to trade between S$1.2890 and S$1.2920, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

When authorities reached her, they performed “lifesaving measures,” but despite their efforts, Fanuele was declared deceased at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

From there they would be transported by road, via rough transit camps in the forest, through Thailand to the Malaysian border.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

"Many beauticians often have a little too much freedom. They think they have learned and, without being surgeons, sometimes perform surgical procedures," Kyrgyz plastic surgeon Iskender Kachkinbayev told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Volunteers are trained for about three months before they are sent overseas for twenty-four months of service in several sectors.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Normally their families would expect to hear from them within a week or 10 days.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The media cited Australian foreign ministry letters sent to the families of the two citizens killed, informing them that Laos would charge the operator of the Tiger brand of alcohol with operating illegally.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

We inhale and ingest them from almost everything we touch, breathe, eat and drink.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The Malaysian navy is efficient at intercepting them, and pushing them back out onto the open seas, and local fishing communities will not help.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

For one, neither of them is easily swayed.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

In her order, Sykes said the plaintiffs “have demonstrated they are likely to prevail — or at the least, raise serious questions — on the merits of their Fifth Amendment and Rehabilitation Act claims.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

But with all land routes cut from Rakhine to the rest of Myanmar, their escape must always start with a perilous sea journey.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

In the four weeks since the U.S. and Iran signed their preliminary deal, Tehran shipped almost 70 million barrels of oil worth an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion, according to data provider Kpler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Elections Assistance Commission, a federal agency that helps states improve their voting systems and distributed election security grants to help protect state elections from foreign and domestic cyberattacks, among other things.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Both sides seize him as proof of their belief.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

"Machines cannot read our tacit knowledge and we cannot read theirs," he writes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Among current members of Lionel Scaloni's squad, Leandro Paredes has converted 92.9% of his competitive penalties, while Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez have each scored 91.7% of theirs.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

The Japanese aren’t committing what Mr. Saad calls “civilizational seppuku,” even though the word for ritual suicide is theirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

They also sacrificed their own dreams so their children and grandchildren could achieve theirs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The only fireplace Danny had ever seen in someone’s house had been at the Finnegans’—but theirs had expensive fake logs that ran on electricity and had flames on a screen.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

they

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words