girl

Word family

• girlfriend
  nounA2
• girlish
  adjectiveB1
• girlhood
  nounB2
• girly
  adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five terms refer to a young female person, but they differ in formality, regional use, and age range. 'Child' is the most neutral and covers both genders from birth to about age 12; it is safe in any context. 'Kid' is highly informal and can refer to a child of either gender up to the teenage years. 'Girl' is specific to females and spans from birth through the teenage years, though calling an adult woman a 'girl' can be disrespectful. 'Young lady' is a polite, somewhat old-fashioned term often used by adults when speaking to or about a teenage girl; it carries a tone of respect or gentle authority. 'Lass' is regional (common in Scotland, Northern England, and Ireland), informal, and usually refers to a girl or young woman; it is rarely used in formal writing. In practice: 'The child was playing in the park' is neutral and clear. 'She is a lovely young lady' sounds warm but slightly formal. 'The lass won the race' would fit a Scottish newspaper but sound odd in American English.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'girl' comes from Middle English 'girle' or 'gerle', which originally meant a child or young person of either sex — both boys and girls. The exact origin is uncertain; some scholars link it to Old English 'gyrela' meaning 'garment, dress' (implying a child dressed in clothing). By the late 1300s, the word had narrowed to refer specifically to a female child, and by the 1500s it had taken on its modern meaning. The related word 'girlfriend' dates from the 1800s, first meaning a female friend and later acquiring the romantic sense.