somebody

1 of 2

pronoun

some·​body ˈsəm-(ˌ)bə-dē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-ˌbä-
: one or some person of unspecified or indefinite identity
somebody will come in

somebody

2 of 2

noun

: a person of position or importance

Examples of somebody in a Sentence

Pronoun Somebody left you a message. The singer waved to somebody in the crowd. We need somebody who can work nights and weekends. Is that somebody you know? Somebody has to do it. After I turned down the job, she offered it to somebody else. Noun a small-town girl who hopes to become a somebody someday
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Matt Williams My bold prediction for season 49 is somebody — or a group of somebodies — is going to come up with a piece of strategy and pull it off that's going to make that Operation Italy look like third grade math. Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025 Injuries could pop up, sure, but if this group is healthy, somebody or somebodies are getting pinched. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 14 June 2025 Over the decades, amateurs have beaten pros, nobodies have beaten somebodies. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 That’s good, Joan, because there are 24 potential somebodies headed to the Bachelor mansion right now to meet you. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for somebody

Word History

First Known Use

Pronoun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of somebody was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Somebody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somebody. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

somebody

1 of 2 pronoun
some·​body ˈsəm-ˌbäd-ē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-bəd-
: one or some person of no certain or known identity
did somebody knock?

somebody

2 of 2 noun
: a person of position or importance
wanted to be somebody

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