we
/wi/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 6.54 in modern English
Meaning
pron
Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).
pron
Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).
pron
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.)
pron
Any other entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.
pron
pron
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.)
pron
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.)
Colloquial
Example Sentences
- "We are here to arrest you."
- "It’s time to overcome queasiness and restraint. We, the liberal and progressive people of the world, are at war with the far right to save the earth."
- "We need to have a talk, you and me."
- "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."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: we, wē, *wiʀ, *wīz, *wéy
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /wi/
- British English: /wiː/