—a

Pronoun

they (third-person, nominative case, usually plural, sometimes singular, objective case them, possessive their, possessive noun theirs, reflexive themselves, or reflexive singular themself)

1. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) A group of entities previously mentioned.
   • Fred and Jane? They just arrived.
2. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) One whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or both.
   • 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.]
3. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) One who is nonbinary.
   • There is no need to panic. Robin should be here soon and they will know what to do. [Robin is nonbinary and uses singular they.]
4. (indefinite, nominative, plural, pronoun, singular, sometimes) People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker.
   • They say it’s a good place to live.
5. (indefinite, nominative, plural, pronoun, singular, sometimes) The authorities, the (power) elites, the powers that be, the establishment, the man, the system: government, police, employers, etc.
   • They'll tax us for the air we breathe next.
6. (nominative, plural, singular, sometimes, third-person, usually) The opponents of the side which is keeping score.

   Antonyms:

   we

See all 11 meanings of they