person

noun per·son \ ˈpər-sᵊn \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of person

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

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personhood

play \ˈpər-sᵊn-ˌhu̇d\ noun

— in person

: in one's bodily presence

the movie star appeared in person

See person defined for English-language learners

See person defined for kids

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 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 of person from the Web

Health Nucleus initially launched with a price of $25,000 per person, but the price, while still in the thousands, has come down substantially.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Human Longevity names interim CEO," 13 July 2018
That’s an average of 1.6 straws per person, and a tremendous amount of waste that builds up in our landfills and clogs our oceans.

— caille millner, SFChronicle.com, "A splash of cold water on straw-ban fervor: Many people with disabilities need them," 13 July 2018
At many classical and Arabic concerts in Amman, tickets can reach $50 per person, while private music lessons can range between $20 to $30 a session – out of reach for many Jordanians.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "In rediscovered reed flute, a soulful link to Jordanian identity," 13 July 2018
Since then, the tomb’s doors have been opened only occasionally for small groups of tourists who pay £1,000 Egyptian pounds per person (around $56 USD) for the privilege of access, according to Jarus.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Take a VR Tour of an Egyptian Queen’s Elaborate Tomb," 12 July 2018
In 1985, on the eve of Vietnam’s doi moi liberalising reforms, its GDP per person was a mere 1% of America’s.

— The Economist, "Is North Korea the next Vietnam? Don’t count on it," 12 July 2018
Tickets are $50 per person at www.lcso.net or 219-362-9020.

— staff report, Post-Tribune, "Community news," 11 July 2018
That’s $10,348 per person, at least twice as much as any other country in the industrialized world.

— vijay govindarajan, STAT, "What India can teach the U.S. about driving down the cost of health care," 10 July 2018
Bottomless mimosas, sake sangria and bloody Mary’s are $15 per person.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "First Bite: Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi's Sunday izakaya lunch," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'person.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of person

Middle English, from Anglo-French persone, from Latin persona actor's mask, character in a play, person, probably from Etruscan phersu mask, from Greek prosōpa, plural of prosōpon face, mask — more at prosopopoeia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

person Synonyms

Phrases

son of man;

PERSON Defined for English Language Learners

person

noun

Definition of person for English Language Learners

: a human being
: a person who likes or enjoys something specified
law : the body or clothing of a person especially when considered as a place to hide things

PERSON Defined for Kids

person

noun per·son \ ˈpər-sᵊn \

Definition of person for Students

1 : a human being considered as an individual

I had never heard a person speak Arabic.

Hint: The word person is sometimes used in compounds especially to avoid man in words that apply to both sexes.

chairperson

2 : the body of a human being

Keep your person neat.

Law Dictionary

person

noun per·son

legal Definition of person

1 : natural person

2 : the body of a human being; also : the body and clothing of a human being

had drugs on his person

3 : one (as a human being or corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties — see also juridical person, legal person, personality

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