A female hero; a woman admired for her courage, achievements, or strength.
From Greek 'heros' (hero), which is a male term, with the feminine suffix '-ine' added—the word 'hero' itself may come from 'heros' meaning 'protector' or be related to Hera, the Greek goddess.
We had to add a special feminine ending to 'hero' to make 'heroine,' but we don't do that for most words anymore—modern English is dropping gendered suffixes, so many people just call everyone 'heroes' now.
Heroine became gendered as female counterpart to hero; original 'heros' (priestesses/demi-goddesses in Greek) were erased. Modern usage reflects assumption that heroism is masculine by default.
Use 'hero' for all genders unless historical specificity requires gendering. Center women's heroic acts without diminishment.
["hero","champion"]
Women have performed heroic acts across history—leadership, resistance, innovation—often recorded as support roles or domestic virtue. Using 'hero' universally restores visibility.
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