girl
highneutral, but context-dependent
Definition
Meaning
a female child or young woman
a young unmarried woman; sometimes used informally to refer to an adult female in group contexts
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word 'girl' primarily denotes someone who is not yet an adult, but it can be used informally for adult women, often in social settings (e.g., 'girls' night out'). It can be perceived as patronizing when referring to mature women in professional contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Generally identical in meaning and usage. Certain idiomatic uses, e.g., 'girl Friday' (Britain: common, America: less common).
Connotations
Informal group reference to peers as 'girls' is common in both, but may be more frequent in American English for adults.
Frequency
'Girl' is equally frequent in both varieties in reference to female children; informal adult usage may be slightly higher in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
girl + verb (The girl laughed.)verb + girl (She met a girl.)adjective + girl (brave girl)girl + of + noun (girl of twelve)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “girl Friday”
- “girl next door”
- “just a girl”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Usually inappropriate unless referring to a female child; can be offensive when used for adult women.
Academic
Proper for referring to a female child; otherwise, use 'woman' or 'female student'.
Everyday
Common for describing a child or young female; informally refers to adults in groups.
Technical
Used strictly for age/gender identification (e.g., clinical, legal contexts).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The girl is playing in the garden.
- A group of girls went to the cinema together.
- As a girl growing up in Manchester, she loved reading books late into the night.
- Despite the challenges she faced as a young girl, she later became a prominent scientist.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
G in 'girl' stands for 'growing' into a woman.
Conceptual Metaphor
Girls as flowers—suggesting innocence, beauty, or youth (e.g., 'blooming girl').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- 'Girl' (девочка) only refers to females up to about 12; older teens/adults should not be called 'girls' unless informally.
- Do not confuse 'girl' with 'girlfriend', which means a romantic partner.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'girl' for an adult woman in formal contexts.
- Mixing up 'girl' and 'girlfriend'.
- Writing 'girls' instead of 'girl' for singular reference.
Practice
Quiz
Which word best completes the sentence? She is a smart _____.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In professional or formal contexts, it is generally impolite or patronizing to use 'girl' for an adult woman.
The plural form is 'girls'.
'Girl' alone means a female child or young woman; 'girlfriend' specifically means a female romantic partner.
'Girl' is pronounced /ɡɜːl/ in British English and /ɡɝːl/ in American English.
Collections
Part of a collection
Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.