first-person

1 of 2

adjective

first-per·​son ˈfərs(t)-ˈpər-sᵊn How to pronounce first-person (audio)
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
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Adjective
The three Aud books are novels of character, crime fiction that uses the classic tropes of noir — first-person narrator, fast-moving prose, corruption in high places and crimes of desperation in the urban underbelly — without being noir. Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 Instead, the trick here is that, absent the first-person dimension, Kawamura and co-writer Kentaro Hirase add a psychological component to the third-person storytelling. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 Below, his colleagues offer first-person testimonials of that experience. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025 After an announcement trailer back in May, many were wondering whether this tense first-person action-horror game would disembark on the current-gen Xbox consoles as well. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for first-person

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of first-person was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First-person.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-person. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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