We

/wiː/ · pronoun

Meaning

Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s)..

Definitions by Sense

1. Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).
2. The institution which the speaker/writer is acting for. (This is the editorial we, used by writers and others when speaking with the authority of their publication or organisation.)
3. Any other entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.
4. People in general.
5. (royal) The sovereign alone in his or her capacity as monarch. (This is the royal we. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
6. (colloquial) Everyone being addressed.
7. (colloquial; may sometimes seem patronising) An individual being addressed; used especially to a person in the speaker's care, or to whom advice or instruction is being given. (Sometimes called the nurse's we or the doctor's we.)
8. (colloquial, uncommon) Used to refer to a third person, especially someone in the speaker's care.

Example Sentences

We will in due course state our reasons for publishing the name of the accused.

As the government, we have a duty to ensure public safety.

In light of the promulgation of the aforementioned laws and decisions, we (the administration) propose to make the following amendments to local legislation to implement the relevant requirements on oath taking by public officers.

I went to watch our school football match against Puddletown High. We lost 2-0.

In English, we do not inflect adjectives for gender.

We live and learn.

We still have much to learn about quantum mechanics.

As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels.

Synonyms for we

Antonyms for we

Related Words

Word Forms

• us
• our
• ours
• ourselves
• ourself

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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