Showing results for "they"

nominative plural of he.
nominative plural of it.
nominative plural of she.

Definitions

they

[they] / 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

However, once they are granted refugee status, support from the UK government stops and many turn to the council for assistance, ending up in temporary or homeless accommodation.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

For Evans, as a doctor, the key is not keeping secrets, especially when it comes to side effects "because they can be serious".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

"If they're suspending it in this East Dulwich store, they are conceding there's a problem with it. Why aren't they suspending it in every store?"

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Kelly added that police "do what they can to stop such vehicles while also taking into consideration all other road users".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

They’d left a life in Japan and had no idea what they were doing in Taiwan in the first place.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

She says it is terrifying how often these attacks are happening to women, but is deeply sceptical of what the anti-immigration groups say motivates them to take to the streets.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

In Torres del Limonar, a Cali residential complex that collapsed in Monday's earthquake, people pick through rubble to recover victims' belongings and return them to grieving families.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Also, although there is little official data on this, some experts are worried men using them are not talking about it, either with their GP or publicly.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

A devastating 9.1-magnitude tremor in 2004 struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, about 170,000 of them in Indonesia.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

To bring them into balance, Dr. Harlow prescribes two powerful drugs—an "emetic" to make Phineas throw up and a "purgative," a powerful laxative, to evacuate his bowels.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Forensic investigators have completed their examination of the scene.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Lucy said their beloved pet had recognised them "straight away", describing it as "lovely, because we didn't expect that".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

It uses a formula to work out how much a parent should pay, depending on a range of factors including their income.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Both parents are responsible for the costs of raising their children, even if they do not see them.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

She thinks of the people at the Tala Leprosarium in Novaliches, who don’t have beds of their own, or even clean water.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Following Prime Minister Andy Burnham's crackdown on subscription traps, three people tell us how they got into - and out of theirs.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 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

When Mountbatten-Windsor lost his titles, both princesses kept theirs, but neither is a working royal.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

What the note points out is that workers in highly exposed occupations are finding it harder to transition to other jobs once they have lost theirs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

In fact, my opinion may be better than theirs, because as a layman I react to art in a direct, straightforward fashion, without having my view obstructed by a lot of complicated theories.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

they

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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