Meanings
they1
objective them · possessive their · noun possessive theirs · reflexive themselves · reflexive singular themself · alternative They · alternative dey · alternative thay · alternative theye · alternative thaay · alternative theye
- nominativepluralsingularsometimesthird personusuallythe third-person plural nominativeA group of entities previously mentioned.First known use since 13th c.
Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
5 more examples
Dogs may bark if they want to be fed.
Plants wilt if they are not watered.
I have a car and a truck, but they are both broken.
But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; And they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; And they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away
1611, King James Bible[…]purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.
1620, Giovanni Bocaccio, translated by John Florio, The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen, Isaac Iaggard, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day - A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary.
- nominativepluralsingularsometimesthird personusuallythe third-person singular nominative; occasionally proscribedOne whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or both.First known use since 14th c.
I asked my friend if they wanted to come, but they said no. [The gender is known but irrelevant.]
5 more examples
Somebody requested a seat at Friday's performance but didn't say if they preferred the balcony or the floor. [The gender is unknown and irrelevant.]
One of the boys tripped over, and they hit their head on the door. [The gender is known but irrelevant; the particular subclass of usage in this example was seldom accepted before the 21st century, but its acceptance is increasing.]
Then shalt thou bring forth that man, or that woman (which haue committed that wicked thing) vnto thy gates, euen that man, or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 17:5Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione.
1997, J. K. Rowling, chapter 10, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, (quoted edition: London: Bloomsbury, 2000, →ISBN, page 187)One thing a nominee earns is the right to pick the vice president that they think will best reflect their vision of the country, and I am just glad I will have nothing to do with it.
2008, Michelle Obama, quoted in Lisa Rogak, Michelle Obama in Her Own Words, New York, NY: PublicAffairs, 2009. →ISBN, page 18 - nominativepluralsingularsometimesthird personusuallythe third-person singular nominative; occasionally proscribedOne who is nonbinary.First known use since late 20th c.
There is no need to panic. Robin should be here soon and they will know what to do.
2 more examples
The boycott, led by Elisha Lim, of a Toronto gay and lesbian newspaper after it refused to use their preferred pronoun ["they"], citing grammar considerations, inspired me.
2014, Ivan E. Coyote, Rae Spoon, Gender Failure, →ISBNEver since El Martinez started asking to be called by the gender-neutral pronouns “they/them” in the ninth grade, they have fielded skepticism in a variety of forms and from a multitude of sources about what it means to identify as nonbinary.
2019 May 29, Amy Harmon, “Which Box Do You Check? Some States Are Offering a Nonbinary Option”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2019
- indefinitenominativepluralpronounsingularsometimesthird personusuallyvague meaningPeople; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.
They say it’s a good place to live.
5 more examples
They didn’t have computers in the old days.
They built this city on rock and roll.
They don’t make them like they used to.
Always get a second source, they tell us in investigative lexicography;[…]
1986 February 16, William Safire, “On Language; Moon Of My Delight”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 May 2015, Section 6 / Magazine, page 10I am beautiful, no matter what they say
2002, Linda Perry, “Beautiful”, in Stripped, performed by Christina Aguilera - indefinitenominativepluralpronounsingularsometimesthird personusuallyThe authorities, the (power) elites, the powers that be, the establishment, the man, the system: government, police, employers, etc.
They should increase our wages.
2 more examples
They'll tax us for the air we breathe next.
Ha, you believe the moon is real? That's just what they want you to think.
- nominativepluralsingularsometimesthird personusuallybridgeThe opponents of the side which is keeping score.
Antonyms: we
alternative the · alternative thay · alternative thaay
- Southern EnglanddialectalnonstandardThe, those.First known use 14th c.
They rooks as you see … only coom a few year agoo.
1878, Louis John Jennings, Field Paths and Green Lanes, quoting an old East Sussex man4 more examples
Darn'd if they Cockney Chaps can zee there worn't nort but lie in him.
1883, Judy, or the London serio-comic journal, volume 33, Harvard Universitypage 21: "But you spile [spoil] they gals - they won't be for no good, they won't." page 30: "'Twas all about they rewks [rooks]," he sobbed. page 54: "mucking the place up with they weeds"
1895, Under the Chilterns: A Story of English Village Life"Bodies and souls," she cried, "if I didn't reckon to have hidden they boots safe from un in the stick-rick." "Off wi' they tight-wasted shoes o' yours, Martha."
1901, Gwendoline Keats (of Devon), Tales of Dunstáble Weir, page 55Forty quid a fuckin ticket. No shy they British Rail cunts, ah kin fuckin tell ye.
1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 114 - USdialectalincluding African-American VernacularTheir.First known use 19th c.
But all they kids be listenin' to me religiously / So I'm signin' CDs while police fingerprint me
2002, Eminem, Sing for the Moment4 more examples
MARY ELLEN is a different case from the others. She has five children and, she claims: "I don't know who they father is. I ain't never kept track. They is always another one. You know, I can catch me a guy[.]"
1974, Arthur Hippler, Hunter's Point: a black ghetto in America, page 88It's a shame to see someone talk so bad about the gays and lesbians in prison. She is brainwash to the fact that she think every gay and lesbian in prison is guilty of they crimes.
1988 February 7, Mike Riegle, quoting John Royal, “Why Does GCN Have A Prisoner Project?”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 29, page 10I got bitches askin' me about the code for the Wi-Fi / So they can talk about they timeline / And show me pictures of they friends
2015, “Energy”, in If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, performed by DrakeHe guessed one of the well-off people living in these houses must have took a shine to Cody and decided how he'd look good stuck up on they roof.
2016, Alan Moore, Jerusalem, Liveright, published 2016, page 175
present singular third person theys · participle present theying · participle past theyed · past theyed
- transitiveTo refer to (someone, sometimes especially someone who does not use gender-neutral pronouns) using they/them pronouns.
I have a pin that says she/her, but I still get theyed all the time.
they2
- USdialectalThere (especially as an expletive subject of be).First known use 19th c.
They ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.
2000, Janice Giles, Hill Man, page 584 more examples
They’s music in the twitter of the bluebird and the jay.
1889, James Whitcomb Riley, Pipes o' PanMARY ELLEN is a different case from the others. She has five children and, she claims: "I don't know who they father is. I ain't never kept track. They is always another one. You know, I can catch me a guy[.]"
1974, Arthur Hippler, Hunter's Point: a black ghetto in America, page 88But they ain’t nothin’ in there you didn’t already have.
2008, Christian Carvajal, Lightfall, page 82Well, they’s a lot of ‘em didn’t survive, if you believe me.
2010, Alessandro Portelli, They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History, page 207
They3
- honorificHonorific alternative letter-case form of of they, sometimes used when referring to gods or other important figures who are understood from context.
Then raising Their hands, each god according to his sign, They made the worlds and the suns, and put a light in the houses of the sky.
1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], “Of the Making of the Worlds”, in The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, pages 4–54 more examples
The question arises in a practical way in two possible situations: either ‘here is Mr. A: he wants to do some research and has a grant of so much for X years’: or ‘here is a problem: They (capital T, please) want us to do research about it and are prepared to pay £X over a period of X years’. Of course these problems are not for the entrepreneur separate: if he can promote an association between Mr. A and Them he has to that extent stabilised and regularised his business.
1975, W[illiam] J[ames] M[illar] Mackenzie, “The Conceptual Framework and the Cash Basis”, in Explorations in Government: Collected Papers: 1951–1968, New York, N.Y.; Toronto, Ont.: Halsted Press, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, section V (Constitutional Theory, Political Theory), pages 305–306God is used as the mouthpiece of the parent. You come to feel that you can never be good enough or perfect enough in their eyes or in God’s. Even when you start to think for yourself, you have the dim fear that They (capital T) are right.
1987, Howard F. Stein, “Farmer and Cowboy: The Duality of the Midwestern Male Ethos—a Study in Ethnicity, Regionalism, and National Identity”, in Howard F. Stein, Maurice Apprey, From Metaphor to Meaning: Papers in Psychoanalytic Anthropology (Series in Ethnicity, Medicine, and Psychoanalysis; 2), Charlottesville, Va.: University Press of Virginia, →ISBN, page 211They (capital T) are saying that while Saddam was not at all a good idea it was very bad that we were in the Gulf at all – latest was a bearded Canuck who did me for their TV this morning.
1991 March 18, Kingsley Amis, “To Robert Conquest”, in Zachary Leader, editor, The Letters of Kingsley Amis, London: HarperCollinsPublishers, published 2000, →ISBN, pages 1102–1103Succinctly stated, your story is that nameless men from a faceless organization want to kill you for reasons which you cannot fathom. You’ve done nothing. You are an innocent and blameless man. But They—capital ‘T’ They—want you dead.
1995 October, Joseph R. Garber, “Some Fine Joke”, in Vertical Run, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 133
Synonyms & antonyms
pronounThe opponents of the side which is keeping score.
Origin
they · pronoun, determiner, verb, noun
- Proto-Indo-European*tóy
- Proto-Germanic*þai
- Proto-Norse*ᚦᚨᛁᛉ (*þaiʀ)
- Old Norseþeir
- Middle Englishþei
- Englishthey
From Middle English þei, borrowed in the 1200s from Old Norse þeir, plural of the demonstrative sá which acted as a plural pronoun. Displaced native Middle English he from Old English hīe — which vowel changes had left indistinct from he (“he”) — by the 1400s, being readily incorporated alongside native words beginning with the same sound (the, that, this). Used as a singular pronoun since 1300, e.g. in the 1325 Cursor Mundi. The Norse term (whence also Icelandic þeir (“they”), Faroese teir (“they”), Danish de (“they”), Swedish de (“they”), Norwegian Nynorsk dei (“they”)) is from Proto-Germanic *þai (“those”) (from Proto-Indo-European *to- (“that”)), whence also Old English þā (“those”) (whence obsolete English tho), Scots thae, thai, thay (“they; those”), Swabian dia (“they”). The origin of the determiner they (“the, those”) is unclear. The OED, English Dialect Dictionary and Middle English Dictionary define it and its Middle English predecessor thei as a demonstrative determiner or adjective meaning “those” or “the”. This could be a continuation of the use of the English pronoun they's Old Norse etymon þeir as a demonstrative meaning “those”, but the OED and EDD say it is limited to southern, especially southwestern, England, specifically outside the region of Norse contact.
More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans hulle
- hullethird-person plural pronoun
Ancient Greek οὗτοι, αὗται f ταῦτα
- οὗτοι (hoûtoi)third-person plural pronoun
- αὗται f ταῦτα (haûtai)third-person plural pronoun
- σφεῖς (spheîs)third-person plural pronoun
Arabic هُمَا, هُم
- هُمَا (humā)third-person plural pronoun
- هُم (hum)third-person plural pronoun
- هُنَّ (hunna)third-person plural pronoun
- هِيَ (hiya)third-person plural pronoun
- هما (humma)third-person plural pronoun
- هم (humm)third-person plural pronoun
- اهم (uhum, uhmə)third-person plural pronoun
- هُمَّ (humma)third-person plural pronoun
- هن (hinne)third-person plural pronoun
- هم (humme)third-person plural pronoun
Basque haiek
- haiekthird-person plural pronoun
Bengali তারা, সে
- তারা (tara)third-person plural pronoun
- সে (śe)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Bulgarian те
- те (te)third-person plural pronoun
Catalan ells, elles
- ellsthird-person plural pronoun
- ellesthird-person plural pronoun
- ellithird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Chinese таму, ана
- таму (tamu)third-person plural pronoun
- ана (ana)third-person plural pronoun
- 𪜶 (in)third-person plural pronoun
- та (ta)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- 伊 (i)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Chinese Cantonese 佢哋, 他們 /他们
- 佢哋 (keoi⁵ dei⁶)third-person plural pronoun
- 他們 /他们 (taa¹ mun⁴)third-person plural pronoun
- 佢 (keoi⁵)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Chinese Mandarin 他們 /他们, 她們 /她们
- 他們 /他们 (tāmen)third-person plural pronoun
- 她們 /她们 (tāmen)third-person plural pronoun
- 它們 /它们 (tāmen)third-person plural pronoun
- TA (tā)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- 他 (tā)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- (tā)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Czech oni, ony
- onithird-person plural pronoun
- onythird-person plural pronoun
Danish de
- dethird-person plural pronoun
Dutch ze, zij
- zeone, people, some people
- zijthird-person plural pronoun
- zethird-person plural pronoun
- diethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- henthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Esperanto oni, ili
- onione, people, some people
- ilithird-person plural pronoun
- tiujthird-person plural pronoun
- lithird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- rithird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- ĝithird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- ŝlithird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Estonian nemad, nad
- nemadthird-person plural pronoun
- nadthird-person plural pronoun
- temathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- tathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- seethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Finnish he, ne
- hethird-person plural pronoun
- nethird-person plural pronoun
- nethird-person plural pronoun
- hyöthird-person plural pronoun
- hänthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- sethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
French on, ils
- onone, people, some people
- ilsthird-person plural pronoun
- ellesthird-person plural pronoun
- euxthird-person plural pronoun
- ielsthird-person plural pronoun
- iel n ille n al n ul n olthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
German man, sie
- manone, people, some people
- siethird-person plural pronoun
- sierthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Greek αυτοί, αυτές
- αυτοί (aftoí)third-person plural pronoun
- αυτές (aftés)third-person plural pronoun
- αυτά (aftá)third-person plural pronoun
Hawaiian lāua du, lākou
- lāua duthird-person plural pronoun
- lākouthird-person plural pronoun
- iathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Hebrew הֵם, הֵן
- הֵם (hem)third-person plural pronoun
- הֵן (hen)third-person plural pronoun
Hindi वे, ये
- वे (ve)third-person plural pronoun
- ये (ye)third-person plural pronoun
- वह (vah)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- यह (yah)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Hungarian az ember, -nak
- az emberone, people, some people
- -nakone, people, some people
- -nekone, people, some people
- -jákone, people, some people
- -ikone, people, some people
- őkthird-person plural pronoun
- -nekthird-person plural pronoun
- őthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Icelandic þeir, þær
- þeirthird-person plural pronoun
- þærthird-person plural pronoun
- þauthird-person plural pronoun
- hánthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Indonesian mereka, dia
- merekathird-person plural pronoun
- diathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- iathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Iranian Persian ایشان, آنْها
- ایشان (išân)third-person plural pronoun
- آنْها (ânhâ)third-person plural pronoun
- آنان (ânân)third-person plural pronoun
- او (u)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- وِی (vey)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- اوی (uy)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Irish siad, iad
- siadthird-person plural pronoun
- iadthird-person plural pronoun
- siadsanthird-person plural pronoun
- iadsanthird-person plural pronoun
Italian si, essi
- sione, people, some people
- essithird-person plural pronoun
- lorothird-person plural pronoun
Japanese 彼ら, あいつら
- 彼ら (karera)third-person plural pronoun
- あいつら (aitsura)third-person plural pronoun
- それら (sorera)third-person plural pronoun
- あの人達 (anohito-tachi)third-person plural pronoun
- あの方々 (anokata-gata)third-person plural pronoun
- 彼女ら (kanojora)third-person plural pronoun
- あの人 (anohito)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- 氏 (shi)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Korean 그들, 그녀들
- 그들 (geudeul)third-person plural pronoun
- 그녀들 (geunyeodeul)third-person plural pronoun
- 걔들 (gyaedeul)third-person plural pronoun
- 걔 (gyae)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Latin ei, ii
- eithird-person plural pronoun
- iithird-person plural pronoun
- hithird-person plural pronoun
- illithird-person plural pronoun
Latvian viņi, viņas
- viņithird-person plural pronoun
- viņasthird-person plural pronoun
Lithuanian jie, jos
- jiethird-person plural pronoun
- josthird-person plural pronoun
Louisiana French eux, eusse
- euxthird-person plural pronoun
- eussethird-person plural pronoun
- eux-autresthird-person plural pronoun
Malay mereka, dia
- merekathird-person plural pronoun
- diathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- iathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Māori rāua du, rātou
- rāua duthird-person plural pronoun
- rātouthird-person plural pronoun
- iathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Norwegian hen
- henthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Norwegian Bokmål de
- dethird-person plural pronoun
Persian ایشان
- ایشان (išân)one, people, some people
Polish oni, one
- onithird-person plural pronoun
- onethird-person plural pronoun
Portuguese se, eles
- seone, people, some people
- elesthird-person plural pronoun
- elasthird-person plural pronoun
- eluthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- ilethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- sethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Romanian ei, ele
- eithird-person plural pronoun
- elethird-person plural pronoun
- dumnealorthird-person plural pronoun
Russian они́, они́
- они́ (oní)third-person plural pronoun
- они́ (oní)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Scottish Gaelic (nonemphatic) iad, iadsan
- (nonemphatic) iadthird-person plural pronoun
- iadsanthird-person plural pronoun
Slovak oni, ony
- onithird-person plural pronoun
- onythird-person plural pronoun
Spanish se, uno
- seone, people, some people
- unoone, people, some people
- unaone, people, some people
- ellosthird-person plural pronoun
- ellasthird-person plural pronoun
- ellesthird-person plural pronoun
- ellethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- sethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Swahili wao, yeye
- waothird-person plural pronoun
- yeyethird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Swedish de, dom
- deone, people, some people
- domone, people, some people
- manone, people, some people
- dethird-person plural pronoun
- domthird-person plural pronoun
- henthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Tagalog sila, niya
- silathird-person plural pronoun
- niyathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- kaniyathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- siyathird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Tamil அவர், இவர்
- அவர் (avar)third-person plural pronoun
- இவர் (ivar)third-person plural pronoun
Thai เขา, พวกเขา
- เขา (kǎo)third-person plural pronoun
- พวกเขา (pûuak-kǎo)third-person plural pronoun
- เขา (kǎo)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Turkish onlar, o
- onlarthird-person plural pronoun
- othird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Ukrainian вони́, вони́
- вони́ (voný)third-person plural pronoun
- вони́ (voný)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Urdu وہ, یہ
- وہ (voh)third-person plural pronoun
- یہ (yeh)third-person plural pronoun
- وہ (voh)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- یہ (yeh)third-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Vietnamese họ, họ
- họthird-person plural pronoun
- họthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
- nóthird-person singular, of unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary gender
Welsh hwy, hwynt
- hwythird-person plural pronoun
- hwyntthird-person plural pronoun
- nhwthird-person plural pronoun
Yiddish זיי
- זיי (zey)third-person plural pronoun
Zulu bona, yona
- bonathird-person plural pronoun
- yonathird-person plural pronoun
- wonathird-person plural pronoun
- zonathird-person plural pronoun
- zonathird-person plural pronoun
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with they
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
they. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/they
“they.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/they. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “they,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/they.
Source: they on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.