What does they mean?
They is the third-person plural personal pronoun and one of the most flexible words in English. It can refer to people or things already mentioned, to an unspecified group, or to people in general: “They are ready,” “They say the journey takes two hours.” It also functions as a singular pronoun for one person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or not specified, particularly in modern usage. In such cases, the accompanying verb normally takes singular agreement, as in “The visitor said they would call.” The distinction between subject and object forms gives us they and them, while their and theirs express possession. Although historically restricted to plural referents, they has become a useful tool for clear and inclusive communication. Its combination of broad reference, grammatical simplicity, and compatibility with both traditional and gender-neutral usage makes it especially valuable in everyday speech.
pronounThey is the third-person plural personal pronoun, used to refer to people or things already mentioned or understood. In contemporary English, it can also be used as a singular pronoun for one person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or not specified.
- People or things already mentioned or understood, functioning as the subject of a clause.
- People or things in general, especially in generalizations about society or human behavior.
- One person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or not specified, used with singular agreement.
"The neighbours said they would be home by six."
"The committee said they would announce the decision later."
"My neighbour asked whether they could use my phone, so I handed it over."
They has quietly become one of English’s most flexible pronouns, expanding from a plural word to a gender-neutral way of referring to one person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How they is actually used
They is standard in formal and informal English throughout Britain and the United States. Singular they is increasingly accepted and is especially useful when a person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant, or not being emphasized. Generic uses, such as “They say that practice improves with experience,” can refer to people generally.
Easily confused with they
They is used as the subject of a sentence, while them is used as an object: “They called them.”
They is a subject pronoun, while their is the possessive determiner: “They finished their work.”
They refers to people or things, while there indicates a place or the existence of something: “They are there.”