person
A1Neutral, formal, informal, legal
Definition
Meaning
A human being considered as an individual.
A category of grammatical person (first, second, third); a character or role in a dramatic piece; a legal entity recognized as having rights and obligations (e.g., a corporation).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The plural 'people' is preferred for indefinite numbers/groups, while 'persons' is formal/legal for specific, countable individuals. Increasingly used in gender-neutral contexts where gender identity is unspecified or non-binary (e.g., 'first person').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Very minor. 'Persons' is slightly more common in formal/legal AmE contexts (e.g., 'missing persons'). BrE may prefer 'people' more consistently in general use.
Connotations
None significant.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[ADJ] person (a reliable person)person of [NOUN] (a person of integrity)person to [INF] (the right person to ask)person from [PLACE] (a person from London)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in person (physically present)”
- “on/about one's person (carried with one)”
- “be one's own person (act independently)”
- “the last person (the least likely or suitable individual)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for roles and responsibilities, e.g., 'key person insurance', 'point person'.
Academic
Used in philosophy (personal identity), sociology, law, and grammar.
Everyday
The default term for referring to a human individual.
Technical
In law: 'natural person' vs. 'legal/juridical person'; in grammar: personal pronouns.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (very rare) Not standard. No common examples.
American English
- (very rare) Not standard. No common examples.
adverb
British English
- (No adverbial form)
American English
- (No adverbial form)
adjective
British English
- person-centred care
- person-specific training
American English
- person-to-person call
- person-specific data
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is a very kind person.
- I am the first person in my family to go to university.
- There is one person at the door.
- The right person for the job will have excellent communication skills.
- In legal terms, a company is considered a separate person.
- He's not really a morning person.
- Any person found trespassing will be prosecuted.
- She's the last person I'd ask for financial advice.
- The narrative is written in the first person.
- The suspect is described as a person of athletic build.
- The corporation was granted the rights of a legal person.
- They prefer to be referred to with the gender-neutral honorific 'Mx.' and the pronoun 'they' as a single person.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of PER-SON: PER (for each) SON (like 'son', a human). So, 'for each human individual'.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON IS A CONTAINER (for qualities, emotions). A PERSON IS AN OBJECT (e.g., 'she's a gem').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'person' for 'человек' in plural generic contexts – use 'people' (not 'persons').
- Do not confuse with 'личность' (personality/identity). 'Person' is more about the entity itself.
- In grammar, 'person' translates as 'лицо' (first person – первое лицо).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'persons' incorrectly in everyday plural contexts (e.g., 'Three persons were there' sounds overly formal/police report).
- Using 'person' as a gender-neutral pronoun in object position where 'them' is needed (e.g., 'I saw a person, and I helped them').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST natural use of 'person'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Person' is singular. 'People' is the usual plural for persons. 'Peoples' (plural) refers to distinct ethnic or national groups (e.g., 'the indigenous peoples of the Americas').
Yes. Using singular 'they' (e.g., 'Someone left their bag. I hope they come back for it.') is grammatically acceptable and has a long history in English. It is also the standard pronoun for a non-binary individual.
Use 'persons' primarily in formal, legal, or technical contexts where individuals are counted specifically, such in official documents ('all persons are required to...'), signs ('Capacity: 150 persons'), or police reports ('missing persons').
In a grammatical sense, yes (e.g., first-person narrative). In law, yes ('legal person' like a company). In everyday use, it is reserved for humans, though it is sometimes used personifying animals or entities in literature or affectionately (e.g., 'My dog is such a funny little person').
Collections
Part of a collection
Family Members
A1 · 44 words · Words for family, people and relationships at home.