person
/ˈpɜːrsən/noun★Beginner
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
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
person of interestphrase
someone under investigation
person in chargephrase
the person responsible
💡Pro Tip
Formal vs. Informal Usage
Use 'person' in formal contexts, while 'people' is more common in everyday speech.
⚡Gold Rule
Legal Context
In law, 'person' can refer to both individuals and legal entities like corporations.
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'persone', from Latin 'persona' (mask, character in drama), from Etruscan 'phersu' (mask).
📝Usage Notes
In formal or legal contexts, 'person' is often used instead of 'people' when referring to a single individual.
Word Breakdown
per-
through, thoroughly
prefix-son
sound, voice
suffixEnglish Dictionary