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
Go to a person who has vetted out skincare and who is really interested in taking good care of you, not taking your money.
—
Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The round, dark-colored tea caddy is named after the Japanese person who owned it during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
—Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
Police did not provide any information about the person who died.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Ever since Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense, critics have called the former Fox News weekend host the most underqualified person to ever hold the position.
—John Ficarra, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for person
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The round, dark-colored tea caddy is named after the Japanese person who owned it during the Meiji period (1868-1912).
—Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025
Police did not provide any information about the person who died.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Ever since Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense, critics have called the former Fox News weekend host the most underqualified person to ever hold the position.
—John Ficarra, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 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 7 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share