person

SayPUR-suhn/ˈpɝ.sən//ˈpɜː.sən/

14 meanings of person

1
human beingnouncountable
One human being, whether a man, woman, or child.
Each person at the meeting had a chance to speak.
She's the kind of person who remembers every birthday.
UsageOne person, two people.
Similarindividual, human, soul
Note
2
fond ofnouncountable
Someone who likes or enjoys a certain thing.
I've always been a dog person, never much for cats.
She's a morning person and does her best work before noon.
UsageSay I'm a dog person or I'm not a morning person.
Similartype, lover, fan
Note
3
doing a jobnouncountable
Someone who does a certain job, as in a delivery person.
Ask the delivery person to leave the box by the door.
The tech support person fixed my laptop in about ten minutes.
UsageSay delivery person or the IT person.
Similarworker, specialist

Less common meanings

4
grammarnoununcountable
In grammar, the way words show who is speaking, who is spoken to, or who is spoken about.
Like labels that mark who is talking, who is listening, and who is being talked about.
In English, 'I' is first person and 'you' is second person.
Verbs in many languages change form depending on person and number.
UsageSay first person for I and we.
Note
5
in lawnouncountable
In law, a human or a group such as a company that has legal rights and can go to court.
Like treating a company as if it were one single human in front of a judge.
In court, a company can count as a person and be sued.
The law treats each person, human or corporate, as able to own property.
Similarentity
Note
6
bodynouncountable
The body of a human, thought of as separate from the mind or character.
The guard found nothing suspicious on his person during the search.
Never leave your keys in the car. Keep them on your person.
UsageOn his person means carried on his body or in his clothing. This phrase sounds formal.
Similarbody
Note
7
special someonenouncountable
A special someone you feel deeply connected to, often a romantic partner.
Like the one friend who understands you without any words.
After ten years together, she's still my person.
Everyone hopes to find their person someday.
UsageSay she's my person.
Similarsoulmate, match
Note
8
nouncountable
Any being that can think and reason like an intelligent creature, even if it is not human.
In the novel, the alien ambassador is treated as a person with full rights.
If a machine could truly think, would it count as a person?
9
Trinitynouncountable
In Christian belief, any one of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who together are God.
Christians believe God exists as three persons in one being.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.
Similarhypostasis
Note
10
stage partnounliterarycountable
A character or role that someone plays or pretends to be.
Like a mask an actor wears to become someone else.
She sings the whole song in the person of an old sailor.
The whole book is told in the person of a young farm girl.
UsageSay in the person of an old sailor.
Similarcharacter, role, persona, guise
Note
11
provide workersverbtransitivegender neutral
To provide a place or service with the workers needed to run it.
Like filling a shop with workers so it can open.
Volunteers person the help desk every weekend.
They need more nurses to person the night shift.
Similarstaff, man, crew
Note
12
private partsnouneuphemisticcountable
A polite legal word for the private parts, especially the penis.
He was charged with indecently exposing his person in the park.
The old law punished any man who exposed his person in public.
Similargenitals, penis
Note
13
verbobsoletetransitive
To show something as if it were a person, or to act the part of someone else.
Note
14
noun
In biology, a single member of an animal colony, or one bud or shoot of a plant.

Practice

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Origin

It comes through Old French from Latin persōna, which meant an actor's mask or a role or character. That Latin word may have been borrowed from an Etruscan word for "mask."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Person derives through Old French from Latin persōna. en.wiktionary.org
Latin persōna meant an actor's mask, role or character. en.wiktionary.org
An Etruscan word interpreted as 'mask' is a possible source of Latin persōna. en.wiktionary.org