¦ pronoun [third person singular]
1. used to refer to a man, boy, or male animal previously mentioned or easily identified.
2. used to refer to a person or animal of unspecified sex (in modern use, now largely replaced by 'he or she' or 'they').
3. any person (in modern use, now largely replaced by 'anyone' or 'the person').
¦ noun a male; a man.
Origin
OE <i>hei>, <i>hei>, of Gmc origin.
Usage
Until quite recently he was used to refer to a person of unspecified sex, as in <i>every child needs to know that he is lovedi>. However, this use is now regarded as old-fashioned or sexist. One alternative, which is gaining acceptance in both speech and writing, is to use they instead of he (<i>everyone needs to feel that they matteri>), especially where it occurs after an indefinite pronoun such as everyone or someone. Another alternative is he or she, though this can become long-winded when used frequently.