we

[wee] / wi /

PRONOUN

nominative plural pronoun

Synonyms

STRONGEST

they you

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a synonym for we?

We don’t traditionally think of we as having synonyms, but there are several situations in which it can replace—or be replaced with—another word, phrase, or series of words. _____ and I We’s main job is to serve as a way of not having to name every person in a group of two or more people. Sometimes, though, it’s best to be clear by naming them. Instead of saying We walked home together, you could say Emily, Dave, and I walked home together. all of us The phrase all of us can replace we as the subject of the sentence in some situations. This phrasing is often used to emphasize the entirety of the group that’s present, as in All of us wanted to be here to say goodbye. us Sometimes, you can reword a sentence that uses the object form us to instead use the subject form we, or vice versa. For example, instead of saying Luckily, we weren’t affected by the storm, you could say Luckily, the storm didn’t affect us. ourselves In some cases, the word ourselves is used as another way of saying we. For example, it’s common to say things like We should think for ourselves. Ourselves is also sometimes used in place of we after the words as, than, and but, as in children no older than ourselves. we ourselves Sometimes, you might use the phrase we ourselves to emphasize that something was done by the group that you’re part of as opposed to others. For example, saying We cast the deciding votes may be a neutral statement, but saying We ourselves cast the deciding votes indicates that there was some significance to the fact that it was your group who did it. you We is sometimes used in place of you in a way that’s sometimes intended to be more polite, such as when giving someone an assignment, as in We should do that by Friday. It can also be used in place of you in a way that’s condescending or sarcastic, as in We don’t want to be too hasty, do we? the royal we The word we is famously used in some cases by sovereign rulers as a formal way of saying I, as if they are speaking for the entire nation. Some people use the royal we to be funny. the editorial we This is the we that we editors use when we’re speaking in a general voice, especially as a way to avoid I, which is often seen as too personal (especially when the writer’s voice, opinion, or identity is not relevant). This is often similar in function to general use of you and one. (For an example, see the very first sentence in this section.)

What can you use instead of the word we?

In cases when you want to avoid speaking for a group, you can just say I. There are ways that you can acknowledge part of the group but not all of it. For example, you could say something like I believe—as many of us do—that this is a good idea.

What kind of pronoun is we?

We 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 (first person), to the person being addressed (second person), or the person being talked about (third person). We is categorized as a first person pronoun because it refers to the group of people who are speaking or writing—addressing others.

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:

we us our ours

"The cancer cells are really encapsulated within these areas of macrophages and fibroblasts that we think act as shields for these dormant cancer cells," said Maria.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Yet having conceded seven goals in three matches, Alonso said "we want to be tighter".

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

“Their resiliency is so pronounced; it’s special. You’ve been brave and we commend you,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

“We believe we are very fortunate to have Roger at the helm,” Kraft wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Arlo and I were five years old, and we went to New Orleans to stay with Grandma Sadie for the summer.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

They keep telling us that Gyokeres will come good, but Havertz is their best striker.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

“He always made sure to remind us that if we see someone getting harmed, we do something about it. And he didn’t just say that, that’s how he lived his life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

And perhaps because so much of modern life trains us to understand value through price, that silly little dollar amount made the library look newly enormous to me.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

In its defense, Finch does not advertise itself as fixing the root of what is causing us to be so unwell.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

Dad is doing something he rarely does—explain his actions to us.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

CPL began using the feature in 2025, after one of its data analysts started “playing around with the different tools available in our system” and discovered the option.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

Grange said it could pave the way for a "long outstanding settlement for the hundreds of years of the most horrific abuse that our African ancestors endured".

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Yet, here we were, steering toward our 12th temple of the week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The hour concluded with Mauthe leading the audience in a final refrain, singing that the future is “still in our hands.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

I look about our small camp—Belle and Midnight tied side by side; Father and Caesar, the fire between them, sitting across from each other.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

At Camp Golden Eagle, in Woodruff, Wis., all the usual activities were ours: baseball, archery, canoeing, swimming.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

In July, outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a formal apology to those mothers, telling them: "The shame is not yours... the shame is ours."

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Dolly was one of us, ours, but of course she was also much more.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

It’s offensive because cases like ours could have been settled for significantly less than what the verdict is.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Lamont had his own room, hollowed out next to ours and very messy.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

we

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words