1
: human, individual
—sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes
chairperson
spokesperson
2
: a character or part in or as if in a play : guise
3
a
: one of the three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christians
b
: the unitary personality of Christ that unites the divine and human natures
4
a
archaic
: bodily appearance
b
: the body of a human being
also
: the body and clothing
unlawful search of the person
5
: the personality of a human being : self
6
: one (such as a human being, a partnership, or a corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties
7
: reference of a segment of discourse to the speaker, to one spoken to, or to one spoken of as indicated by means of certain pronouns or in many languages by verb inflection
Examples of person in a Sentence
She is a very nice person.
I saw a person standing on the dock.
Any person who wants a refund must have a receipt.
Most people here are quite friendly.
The tickets are $25 per person.
The person at the front desk will be able to help you.
The tax break is only applicable to persons in a high income bracket.
I like her as a person, but she is not a very good writer.
The disease is easily transmitted from person to person.
The dogs discovered that the men were hiding drugs about their persons.
Recent Examples on the Web
So my biggest advice is to find a community in person or online of other caregivers to vent and to get help.
—
Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
And people are more likely to feel empathy toward a specific person than a group, cause or organization.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
The actress was in Portugal in July to attend the in-person appointment at the immigration agency.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Oct. 2025
Anyone with information about missing persons from Overland Park should contact the Overland Park Police Department at (913) 895-6300.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for person
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
And people are more likely to feel empathy toward a specific person than a group, cause or organization.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
The actress was in Portugal in July to attend the in-person appointment at the immigration agency.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Oct. 2025
Anyone with information about missing persons from Overland Park should contact the Overland Park Police Department at (913) 895-6300.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for person
Cite this Entry
“Person.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/person. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
person
noun
per·son
ˈpərs-ᵊn 
1
: human being, individual
—used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds that apply to both sexes
chairperson
2
: a character or part in or as if in a play
3
: the body of a human being
4
: reference to the speaker, to one spoken to, or to one spoken of as indicated especially by means of certain pronouns
Etymology
Middle English person "human being," from early French persone (same meaning), from Latin persona "person, character in a play," originally "an actor's mask"
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