first-person

1 of 2

adjective

first-per·​son ˈfərs(t)-ˈpər-sᵊn 

variants or less commonly first person

1

: of, relating to, or occurring in the first person

a first-person narrative

a first-person verb form

2

: experienced as if through the eyes of an avatar (as in a video game)

As 3-D first-person games evolved, … visual verisimilitude improved …

—Ian Bogost

When playing as the lead guitarist in first person mode players will see fans react to how they play.

—Sean Michael

see also first-person shooter

first person

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a set of linguistic forms (such as verb forms, pronouns, and inflectional affixes) referring to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which they occur

b

: a linguistic form belonging to such a set

c

: reference of a linguistic form to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which it occurs

2

: a style of discourse marked by general use of verbs and pronouns of the first person

Examples of first-person in a Sentence

Noun

She always wrote in the first person.

The sentence “I was born in Maine” is written in the first person.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This is a career for Thomas, who is not a reenactor but a first-person interpreter. — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 27 June 2026

But the museum did find some illuminating first-person perspectives from women of the era. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Luckily, this body balm, which has been purchased over 8,000 times in the last month, has plenty of customers’ first-person experiences that caught my attention. — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 2 July 2026

The novel takes readers on a first-person journey of the fictional congressman’s life from the 1930s to the early 2020s. — Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

first person

noun

1

: a set of words or forms (as pronouns or verb forms) referring to the person speaking or writing them

2

: a writing style making use of pronouns and verbs of the first person

first person narration