There is a word in the English language in which the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four signify a great man, and the whole word, a great woman. What is the word?

Why this works

The word "heroine" cleverly plays with its structure to convey different meanings. The first two letters, "he," refer to a male pronoun, while the first three letters, "her," indicate a female pronoun. Expanding to four letters, "hero" denotes a great man, and when you consider the entire word, "heroine," it signifies a great woman or female hero. This riddle showcases the richness of the English language by illustrating how a single word can encompass a range of identities and meanings!