person

noun

per·son | \ˈpər-sᵊn

Definition of person

1 : human, individual —sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes chairpersonspokesperson

2 : a character or part in or as if in a play : guise

3a : 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

4a 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

in person

: in one's bodily presence the movie star appeared in person

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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

VoteCast debuted Tuesday, replacing the in-person exit poll as a source of detailed information about the American electorate. — Zeke Miller, The Seattle Times, "AP VoteCast: Trump a dominant force on voters’ minds," 7 Nov. 2018 In addition to meeting in person, disabled black women are connecting on the internet through mediums like the Divas with Disabilities Project and Women on Wheels. — Ola Ojewumi, SELF, "I'm Celebrating My Disabled Black Girl Magic Because I'm Done Feeling Invisible," 7 Nov. 2018 Those who want to shop the wares in person (though Year & Day's website is very user-friendly), the brand just opened a pop up on Crosby Street with walls painted a bold navy blue. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "From Goop Lab to One Kings Lane: 8 New Design Destinations to Know," 7 Nov. 2018 Here was the Neolithic transition embodied in one person. — Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, "When Farmers and Foragers First Met," 24 Oct. 2018 Another tactic is to avoid fraught situations entirely—at least in person. — Alessandra Stanley, Town & Country, "New Solutions for Managing the Most Troublesome In-Laws," 19 Oct. 2018 Shiru provides assistance to international sponsors covering hotel and transportation fees to the store location so businesses can pitch to students in person. — Fox News, "Students ‘pay’ for coffee with personal data," 4 Oct. 2018 So that raises the question of how to detect the yeast in a patient before that person enters an institution. — Maryn Mckenna, WIRED, "The Strange and Curious Case of the Deadly Superbug Yeast," 13 July 2018 Each year, the Michigan Teacher of the Year program selects someone who best represents excellence in teaching, and that person serves as a spokesperson for all teachers in the state for the year. — Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press, "What soccer-loving uncle taught 2 top Michigan teachers," 13 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.

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Dictionary Entries near person

Statistics for person

Last Updated

15 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for person

The first known use of person was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for person

person

noun

English Language Learners Definition of person

: 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

See the full definition for person in the English Language Learners Dictionary

person

noun

per·son | \ˈpər-sᵊn

Kids Definition of person

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.

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