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
3a : one of the three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christiansb : the unitary personality of Christ that unites the divine and human natures
4a archaic : bodily appearanceb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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 of person from the Web
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Flynn has agreed to initially produce documents the committee subpoenaed from his two companies, Flynn Intel LLC and Flynn Intel Inc., according to a person with knowledge of Flynn’s negotiations with the committee.
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Under California law, a minor is a person under 18.
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One person, who was obviously paying attention in art appreciation class, noticed the irony that most people missed.
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In this op-ed, writer Keely Quinlan explores the meaning of Memorial Day as a young person whose parent died in service.
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Authorities have recovered two bodies and are searching for a third person after their vehicle was overtaken by floodwaters in Branson, Missouri.
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One person was dead at the scene and another died at a hospital, Simpson said.
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Many think the benefits of marijuana are outweighed by the negative effects the drug has on a person and society.
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The person behind the Kickstarter, Duane King, was inspired by Sagan's legendary Cosmos:
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
PERSON Defined for English Language Learners
person
playDefinition of person for English Language Learners
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: a human being
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: a person who likes or enjoys something specified
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law : the body or clothing of a person especially when considered as a place to hide things
PERSON Defined for Kids
person
playDefinition 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
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
personhood
nounLearn More about person
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See words that rhyme with person Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for person Spanish Central: Translation of person Nglish: Translation of person for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of person for Arabic speakers
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