Word forms: plural people, plural personslanguage note: The usual word for 'more than one person' is people. The form persons is used as the plural in formal or legal language.
1. countable noun
A person is a man, woman, or child.
At least one person died and several others were injured.
Everyone knows he's the only person who can do the job.
My great-grandfather was a person of some importance here.
The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person.
They were both lovely, friendly people.
At least fifty four people have been killed and a further fifty are missing.
Synonyms: individual, being, body [informal], human More Synonyms of person
2. plural noun
Persons is used as the plural of person in formal, legal, and technical writing.
...removal of the right of accused persons to remain silent.
Persons who wish to adopt a child may contact their local social services department.
...persons with neck problems.
3. countable noun
If you talk about someone as a person, you are considering them from the point of view of their real nature.
I've a lot of time for him as a person now.
Robin didn't feel good about herself as a person.
4. countable noun
If someone says, for example, 'I'm an outdoor person' or 'I'm not a coffee person', they are saying whether or not they like that particular activity or thing.
[mainly spoken]
I am not a country person at all. I prefer the cities.
5.
See do sth in person
6.
See do sth in person
7. countable noun
Your person is your body.
[formal]
The suspect had carried no documents on his person.
8.
See in the person of sb
9. countable noun
In grammar, we use the term first person when referring to 'I' and 'we', second person when referring to 'you', and third person when referring to 'he', 'she', 'it', 'they', and all other noun groups. Person is also used like this when referring to the verb forms that go with these pronouns and noun groups.
10. See also first person, second person, third person
-person
(-pɜːʳsən)
Word forms: plural -people, plural -persons
1. combining form [ADJECTIVE noun]
-person is added to numbers to form adjectives which indicate how many people are involved in something or can use something. People is not used in this way.
...two-person households.
...the spa's 32-person staff.
...his 1971 one-person exhibition.
...two-person tents.
2. combining form
-person is added to nouns to form nouns which refer to someone who does a particular job or is in a particular group. -person is used by people who do not want to use a term which indicates whether someone is a man or a woman. -people can also be used in this way.
She was chairperson of the school governors.
...Jessie Marshall, a contemporary craftsperson.
He had a staff of six salespeople working for him.
person in British English
(ˈpɜːsən)
nounWord forms: pluralpersons
1.
an individual human being
2.
the body of a human being, sometimes including his or her clothing
guns hidden on his person
3.
a grammatical category into which pronouns and forms of verbs are subdivided depending on whether they refer to the speaker, the person addressed, or some other individual, thing, etc
4.
a human being or a corporation recognized in law as having certain rights and obligations
5. philosophy
a being characterized by consciousness, rationality, and a moral sense, and traditionally thought of as consisting of both a body and a mind or soul
6. archaic
a character or role; guise
7. in person
▶ USAGE People is the word usually used to refer to more than one individual: there were a hundred people at the reception. Persons is rarely used, except in official English: several persons were interviewed
Word origin
C13: from Old French persone, from Latin persōna mask, perhaps from Etruscan phersu mask
Person in British English
(ˈpɜːsən)
noun
Christianity
any of the three hypostases existing as distinct in the one God and constituting the Trinity. They are the First Person, the Father, the Second Person, the Son, and the Third Person, the Holy Ghost
-person in British English
suffix forming nouns
sometimes used instead of -man and -woman or -lady
chairperson
salesperson
▶ USAGE See note at -man
person in American English
(ˈpɜrsən)
noun
1.
a human being, esp. as distinguished from a thing or lower animal; individual man, woman, or child
now usually pluralized as people, which formerly was used only to indicate an indefinite number of persons
2. Rare
an individual regarded slightingly, as one of a lower status
3.
a.
a living human body
b.
bodily form or appearance
to be neat about one's person
4.
personality; self; being
5. Grammar
a.
a characteristic, as of pronouns and verbs, indicating whether a given utterance refers to the speaker(s), the one(s) spoken to, or the one(s) spoken about; also, an analytic category based on this characteristic
b.
the form a verb takes to indicate this characteristic
see also first person, second person, third person
6. Archaic
a role in a play; character
7. Law
any individual or incorporated group having certain legal rights and responsibilities
8. Christian Theology
any of the three modes of being (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) in the Trinity
Idioms:
in person
Word origin
ME persone < OFr < L persona, lit., actor's face mask, hence a character, person, prob. < Etr phersu, mask
person- in American English
(ˈpɜrsən)
person (of either sex)
used occas. to avoid the masculine implication of man-
personhood
-person in American English
(ˈpɜrsən)
person of either sex in a (specified) activity, of a (specified) kind, etc.
sometimes used in compounds to avoid the masculine implication of -man, pl. form -people, or -persons, see also person (sense 1)
person in American English
(ˈpɜːrsən)
noun
1.
a human being, whether man, woman, or child
The table seats four persons
2.
a human being as distinguished from an animal or a thing
3. Sociology
an individual human being, esp. with reference to his or her social relationships and behavioral patterns as conditioned by the culture
4. Philosophy
a self-conscious or rational being
5.
the actual self or individual personality of a human being
You ought not to generalize, but to consider the person you are dealing with
6.
the body of a living human being, sometimes including the clothes being worn
He had no money on his person
7.
the body in its external aspect
an attractive person to look at
8.
a character, part, or role, as in a play or story
9.
an individual of distinction or importance
10.
a person not entitled to social recognition or respect
11. Law
a human being (natural person) or a group of human beings, a corporation, a partnership, an estate, or other legal entity (artificial person or juristic person) recognized by law as having rights and duties
12. Grammar
a category found in many languages that is used to distinguish between the speaker of an utteranceand those to or about whom he or she is speaking. In English there are three persons in the pronouns, the first represented by I and we, the second by you, and the third by he, she, it, and they. Most verbs have distinct third person singular forms in the present tense, as writes; the verb be has, in addition, a first person singular form am
13. Theology
any of the three hypostases or modes of being in the Trinity, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
14. See be one's own person
15. See in person
Word origin
[1175–1225; ME persone ‹ L persōna role (in life, a play, or a tale) (LL: member of the Trinity), orig. actor's mask‹ Etruscan phersu (‹ Gk prósōpa face, mask) + -na a suffix]
More idioms containing
person
the person or thing of someone's dreams
when one person sneezes, another catches cold
COBUILD Collocations
person
different person
homeless person
morning person
people person
unknown person
Examples of 'person' in a sentence
person
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
The contessa seemed to be the only decent person in the room.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
Through the frosted glass she could make out a large person struggling down the corridor.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
Even his apparent obsession with my person might by some be considered not altogether reprehensible.
Anthony Masters CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2002)
Elizabeth Peters HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY (2000)
Quotations
A person is a person because he recognizes others as personsDesmond Tutuspeech at enthronement as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town
In other languages
person
British English: person /ˈpɜːsn/ NOUN
A person is a man, woman, or child.
The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person.
American English: person
Arabic: شَخْصٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: pessoa
Chinese: 人
Croatian: osoba
Czech: člověk
Danish: person
Dutch: persoon
European Spanish: persona
Finnish: henkilö
French: personne gens
German: Person
Greek: άτομο άνθρωπος
Italian: persona
Japanese: 人
Korean: 사람
Norwegian: person
Polish: osoba
European Portuguese: pessoa
Romanian: persoană
Russian: человек
Latin American Spanish: persona
Swedish: person
Thai: บุคคล
Turkish: kişi
Ukrainian: людина
Vietnamese: người
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'person'
in person
actually present
lay person
A lay person is a person who is not trained, qualified , or experienced in a particular subject or activity.
non-person
a person regarded as nonexistent or unimportant ; a nonentity
one-person
A one-person performance is given by only one man rather than by several people.
pod person
a person who behaves in a strange esp mechanical way, as if not fully human
first person
A statement in the first person is a statement about yourself, or about yourself and someone else. The subject of a statement like this is 'I' or 'we'.
front person
a nominal leader of an organization, etc, who lacks real power or authority, esp one who lends respectability to some nefarious activity
media person
a person who works in the mass media
people person
A person is a man, woman, or child .
second person
A statement in the second person is a statement about the person or people you are talking to. The subject of a statement like this is 'you'.
street person
a homeless person
third person
In grammar , a statement in the third person is a statement about another person or thing, and not directly about yourself or about the person you are talking to. The subject of a statement like this is 'he', 'she', 'it', or a name or noun .
business person
Business people are people who work in business.
homeless person
A person is a man, woman, or child.
missing person
A missing person has suddenly left their home without telling their family where they are going , and it is not known whether they are alive or dead.
morning person
A person is a man, woman, or child.
natural person
Law See under person (sense 11 )
unknown person
A person is a man, woman, or child.
person-to-person
If you make a person-to-person call , you say that you want to talk to one person in particular . If that person cannot come to the phone , you do not have to pay for the call.
different person
A person is a man, woman, or child .
displaced person
A displaced person is someone who has been forced to leave the place where they live , especially because of a war.
person-to-person call
a call to a specified person; if that person cannot take the call there is no charge
do sth in person
If you do something in person , you do it yourself rather than letting someone else do it for you.
person of colour
a person who is not White
cut a person dead
to ignore a person completely
first person plural
a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used by the speaker to refer to or talk about himself or herself together with others
first-person shooter
a type of computer game in which the player aims and shoots at targets , and the graphics displayed are seen from the viewpoint of the shooter
give a person five
to greet or congratulate someone by slapping raised hands
be one's own person
to be free from restrictions , control, or dictatorial influence
give a person a fit
to surprise a person in an outrageous manner
in the person of sb
You can use in the person of when mentioning the name of someone you have just referred to in a more general or indirect way.
serve a person right
to pay a person back, esp for wrongful or foolish treatment or behaviour
single person supplement
an additional sum of money that a hotel charges for one person to stay in a room meant for two people
give a person what for
to punish or reprimand a person severely
hate a person's guts
to dislike a person very strongly
help a person off with
to assist a person in the removal of ( clothes )
help a person on with
to assist a person in the putting on of ( clothes )
keep (a person) company
to stay with (a person) so as to provide companionship
keep a person guessing
to let a person remain in a state of uncertainty
no less a person than
a person of no lower importance , rank , etc. than
be in a person's shoes
to be in another person's situation
cut a person down to size
to reduce in importance or decrease the conceit of
go (a person) one better
to outdo or surpass (a person)
laugh in a person's face
to show open contempt or defiance towards a person
stand in a person's light
to stand so as to obscure a person's vision
give a person his or her due
to give or allow a person what is deserved or right
take a person to the cleaners
to rob or defraud a person of all of his or her money
lead a person up the garden path
to mislead or deceive a person
fps
feet per second
hold a pistol to a person's head
to threaten a person in order to force him or her to do what one wants
Chinese translation of 'person'
person
(ˈpəːsn)
Word forms:pl, usuallypeople
n(c)
人 (rén) (个(個), gè)
in person[appear, collect, sing]亲(親)自 (qīnzì)
on or about one's person带(帶)在身上 (dài zài shēnshang)
person 的复数形式通常为 people。 They were both lovely, friendly people ... There were a lot of people at the party.persons 只用于正式场合和法律用语中。 Persons who wish to adopt a child may contact their local social services department.
All related terms of 'person'
in person
( appear, collect, sing ) 亲(親)自 qīnzì
per person
每人 měi rén
missing person
失踪(蹤)人员(員) shīzōng rényuán
the lay person
外行 wàiháng
it costs £5 a person
每人付5镑(鎊) měi rén fù wǔ bàng
first/second/third person
第一/二/三人称(稱) dìyī/èr/sān rénchēng
on or about one's person
带(帶)在身上 dài zài shēnshang
a person of good character
道德高尚的人 dàodé gāoshàng de rén
the person/night in question
谈(談)及的人/夜晚 tánjí de rén/yèwǎn
VIP
very important person 要人 yàorén
(noun)
Definition
an individual human being
Sam's the only person who can do the job.
Synonyms
individual
the rights and responsibilities of the individual
being
beings from outer space
body (informal)
human
The drug has not yet been tested on humans.
soul
a tiny village of only 100 souls
creature
He is one of the most amiable creatures in existence.
human being
not to hear a fellow human being's voice
mortal
impossible needs for any mere mortal to meet
living soul
man or woman
phrase
See in person
Quotation
A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons [Desmond Tutu – speech at enthronement as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of being
Definition
a human being
beings from outer space
Synonyms
individual,
thing,
body (informal),
animal,
creature,
human being,
beast,
mortal,
living thing
in the sense of body
Definition
a person
Synonyms
person,
being,
human,
individual,
creature,
human being,
mortal
in the sense of creature
Definition
a person
He is one of the most amiable creatures in existence.