who's who

1 of 2

noun

ˌhüz-ˈhü 

variants often Who's Who

1

: a compilation of brief biographical sketches of prominent persons in a particular field

a who's who of sports figures

2

: the leaders of a group : elite

3

: a listing or grouping of notable persons or things

who's who

2 of 2

phrase

variant of who is who

: the identity of or the noteworthy facts about each of a number of persons

Examples of who's who in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

South Florida is rolling out the pink carpet for the who's who of the FIFA festivities. — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 5 June 2026

Since the podcast's premiere, Obama and Robinson have interviewed a who's who of Hollywood A-listers, including Bruce Springsteen, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, Kenan Thompson, Carol Burnett and Jimmy Kimmel. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Phrase

Here is a guide to who's who in some of the closest races in the country and how Trump is polling in the battleground states. — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Here's a who's who of the BT21 character line featured in the McDonald's BT21 Happy Meal, according to the BT21 Fandom wiki. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for who's who

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau