person

/ˈpɜːrsən/

human being

Every person has unique qualities.

This sentence emphasizes individuality.

general

An individual human being, regardless of age or gender.

The meeting was attended by three persons.

This refers to three individual people.

In legal contexts, 'person' can also refer to a corporation or organization.

Collocations

public persona well-known individualperson of interestsomeone under investigationperson in chargethe person responsible

someone under investigation

the person responsible

Use 'person' in formal contexts, while 'people' is more common in everyday speech.

In law, 'person' can refer to both individuals and legal entities like corporations.

From Old French 'persone', from Latin 'persona' (mask, character in drama), from Etruscan 'phersu' (mask).

In formal or legal contexts, 'person' is often used instead of 'people' when referring to a single individual.

per-

through, thoroughly

prefix

-son

sound, voice

suffix

English Dictionary