What does person mean?
A person is an individual human being, and the word is one of the most general and versatile terms available for referring to someone. It is appropriate in ordinary conversation as well as in formal, legal, educational, and administrative contexts. Unlike a name, it does not identify a particular individual, and unlike people, it normally focuses on one person at a time. The expression in person emphasizes physical attendance or participation, while a legal person can refer to a human or an organization recognized as having legal rights and duties. In grammar, person describes whether a speaker or listener is involved in a statement. Although people is often the preferred plural in general usage, persons remains standard in formal and legal contexts, especially when individuals are being considered separately.
nounAn individual human being. In formal or legal contexts, a person may also refer to an individual considered apart from their social role, and in grammar, to the grammatical relationship between a speaker, listener, and referent.
- An individual human being.
- A person's body, especially when referring to someone's physical presence.
- A human being considered in relation to a legal, social, or institutional role.
- In grammar, one of the three categories of person: the speaker, the listener, or something or someone being referred to.
"She is a person who listens carefully before offering her opinion."
"The manager spoke to every person in the room."
"The contract makes the company and its employees separate legal persons."
Persons is the standard plural when individuals are being referred to separately, especially in formal, legal, or administrative contexts. People is the usual, more natural plural for a group of human beings.
"The notice affects all persons entering the restricted area."
The word person began with an actor's mask: Latin persona referred to the role represented by a mask, and the word eventually came to mean the human being performing it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does person come from?
The English word entered Middle English through Old French persone, which came from Latin persona. Latin persona originally referred to a theatrical mask and then to the character or role represented by that mask. The meaning developed toward the individual person or human being, while related English words preserve connections with the original idea of identity and role.
Related word forms
How person is actually used
In everyday use, person is a neutral and widely appropriate term for an individual human being. People is usually more natural when referring to a group, while person can sound more formal or emphasize an individual's identity, rights, or legal status. The grammatical sense is technical and appears in discussions of verbs, pronouns, and agreement.
Easily confused with person
People generally means a group or class of human beings, while person usually refers to one individual.
Person is a noun meaning an individual human being, whereas personal is an adjective meaning relating to an individual or private matters.