he or she

pronoun

He or she; used as a gender-neutral reference to the third person singular, especially as an alternative to he.

Meanings

pronounhe or she (third person, singular, plural they)

plural they · alternative she or he · alternative heorshe · alternative he/she · alternative she/he · alternative s/he · alternative (s)he

  1. formalsingularthird personlawHe or she; used as a gender-neutral reference to the third person singular, especially as an alternative to he.

    In Skinner the Court stated: It is not disputed, however, that chemical analysis of urine, like that of blood, can reveal a host of private medical facts about an employee, including whether he or she is epileptic, pregnant, or diabetic.

    2003, Doyice Cotten, John T. Wolohan, Law for recreation and sport managers, page 466

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
Cite this entry
APA

he or she. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20or%20she

MLA

“he or she.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20or%20she. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “he or she,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20or%20she.

Source: he or she on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.