we

pron

1. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).

   “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.”

2. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).

   “We need to have a talk, you and me.”

3. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)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.)

   “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.”

4. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Any other entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.

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

   “In English, we do not inflect adjectives for gender.”

5. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)People in general.

   “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.”

6. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)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.)

   “We are Queen of all these Isles.”

7. (colloquial, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Everyone being addressed.

   “Good evening everyone. How are we all tonight?”

8. (colloquial, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)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.)

   “Hello Mrs Miggins. How are we feeling this morning?”

   “You've been spending all your money boozing when you have a wife and family to support. I think we need to get our priorities straight.”

   ““Well, my dear ma’am, and how are we?” inquired Wosky in a soothing tone. / “Very ill, doctor—very ill,” said Mrs. Bloss in a whisper.”

   “Are we ready to go to bed, sweetie?”

9. (colloquial, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun, uncommon)Used to refer to a third person, especially someone in the speaker's care.

   “"I've just been to see Mrs Miggins." — "And how is she?" — "I'm afraid we aren't too good today."”

10. (colloquial, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Used to connect to or include readers or listeners.

    “Hey guys, in this video I'll show you how I make my upside-down sponge cake. First we take 200 g of butter and we whisk in 200 g of sugar. Next, we ...”

    “All Vice President [Mike] Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.”

    “[Today is] not a day to think about fishing so we will get back to working on the shelter. [cut in video] Cool, so I guess the best analogy for this, then, is that we've basically framed the house, and now we get to shingle.”

    “The elephant in the room, you know, we had a stroke back in May.”

11. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Used to connect to or include readers or listeners.

    “To solve the equation, we first collect all the terms in x on one side.”

12. (colloquial, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Used when talking to oneself to refer to oneself.

    “Now then ... let me see ... I hope I'm doing this right ... if we just connect these two wires together ...”

13. (West-Country, archaic, first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)Us.
14. (first-person, nominative, personal, plural, pronoun)The side which is keeping score.
15. (Geordie)us

    “He was a propa gadgie, and always bought we drinks after a long shift.”

    “And what have you done for we since? Nowt!”

16. (alt-of, honorific)Honorific alternative letter-case form of of we, sometimes used when speaking as an important figure or figures.

    ““It seems to me that we are losing sight of the fact that we are artists,” said Miss Madder to Mr. Ehrlebach one evening about a week later, during one of his calls. / “We, with a capital ‘W,’” laughed Miss Larkin, mimicking Rose’s conscious air. / “Well, Mr. Ehrlebach is, anyway, and he ought to be doing some grave artistic studying.””

    “Yet when Diaz talks one would think he had never achieved anything. He never uses the first pronoun singular, always speaking as “we,” but not the “we” with a capital W habitual to Royalty; just simply we, meaning others in preference to himself. That is why it has been so difficult to draw his picture, to show the modesty lying behind his giant strength.”

    “But meanwhile, We say frankly that so far We do not have sufficient reason to regard the norms given by Pope Pius XII in this matter as surpassed and therefore not binding; they must therefore be considered valid, at least until we feel in conscience bound to modify them.”

    ““You mean it was luck?” replied Jason. / “Well…in a way,” replied Berger. “It really means more than that. In a sense, We with a capital “W” are favoring your undertakings. We are watching over all. God sees all. We see all.””

det

1. Designates the speaker(s)/writer(s) as belonging to or constituting the stated category of people.

   “We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different.”

   “We the undersigned wish to express our disapproval.”

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Western Europe.

noun

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of war establishment.