we

We is the first-person plural pronoun in Modern English. It is used as the subject of a sentence to refer to the speaker and one or more others; its object form is us, possessive determiners are our and ours, and the reflexive form is ourselves.

Its form descends from Old English wē, from Proto-Germanic *wī-; cognates include German wir and Dutch wij.

Usage: English generally lacks a distinct exclusive versus inclusive 'we'; its meaning is typically inclusive, including the addressee or a broader group, though speakers may intend exclusivity by context. In formal writing or rhetoric, we is often used to denote the authors or a community (the 'we' of scientists or officials) and to express solidarity or shared obligation. The 'royal we' refers to a single monarch using we to refer to themselves and their court or government.

In linguistics and discourse, we can function as a stance or identity marker, signaling alignment with a group and shaping perceptions of authority, responsibility, and collective action.