whom

pronoun

ˈhüm 

üm

objective case of who

—used as an interrogative or relative

—used as object of a verb or a preceding preposition

… to know for whom the bell tolls …

—John Donne

or less frequently as the object of a following preposition

the man whom you wrote to

though now often considered stilted especially as an interrogative and especially in oral use

—occasionally used as predicate nominative with a copulative verb or as subject of a verb especially in the vicinity of a preposition or a verb of which it might mistakenly be considered the object

… whom say ye that I am?

—Matthew 16:15 (King James Version)

people … whom you never thought would sympathize

—Shea Murphy

whom or who?: Usage Guide

Mastering the use of who and whom requires analysis and a commitment to grammatical distinctions that can sound stilted. Technically, who performs the action of a verb ("They are the ones who sent me the gift"), while whom receives the action of a verb ("I'd like to thank the gift-givers, whom I've known for years"). In terms of grammar, that makes who a subject, and whom an object. When following a preposition, whom, as an object, is the preferred choice. ("For whom was the gift intended?") ("His brother, with whom he is very close, works for the same company.") However, whom now has a decidedly formal feel and is not commonly used in ordinary speech and writing, where it can seem awkward and unnatural. In all but the most formal contexts, it is standard to use who instead, preferring "Who did you speak to?" to "To whom did you speak?" or "Whom did you speak to?"

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hwām, dative of hwā who

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whom

• blume
• boom
• broom
• doom
• flume
• fume
• gloom
• glume
• groom
• loom
• plume
• rheum

Video

Who vs. Whom

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

Kids Definition

whom

pronoun

(ˈ)hüm 

üm

objective case of who