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
The fungal disease does not spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
—
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Before Johnson and Eakins exchanged vows, Houser passed their wedding rings along the front row and asked that each person hold the rings and pray or give their blessings over them before passing them down to the next person in what's known as ring warming.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 22 May 2025
Akasha was surprised, not long after, to get an invitation to meet contacts of his wholesale buyer in person.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Practice the right way Great speakers don’t just practice more than the average person.
—Carmine Gallo, Forbes.com, 22 May 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.
Send us feedback.
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Before Johnson and Eakins exchanged vows, Houser passed their wedding rings along the front row and asked that each person hold the rings and pray or give their blessings over them before passing them down to the next person in what's known as ring warming.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 22 May 2025
Akasha was surprised, not long after, to get an invitation to meet contacts of his wholesale buyer in person.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Practice the right way Great speakers don’t just practice more than the average person.
—Carmine Gallo, Forbes.com, 22 May 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 29 May. 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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