Person Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：individual human (person)

person 🔊

/ˈpɜːrsən/

A human being, an individual man, woman, or child.

individual human 🔊

➕

/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl ˈhjuːmən/

A single human being regarded as an individual.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'persona' (mask, character), from 'per-' (through) + 'sonare' (to sound).

💡 Mnemonic

A per-son is through (per) sound (son) - your voice makes you a person.

📖 Example

The person sitting next to me in class always shares interesting stories about their travels. 🔊 The person sitting next to me in class always shares interesting stories about their travels.

🔗 Collocations

in person – physically present rather than remotely

per person – for each individual

person of interest – someone associated with a criminal investigation

🔄 Synonyms

individual (n.) – A single human being considered separately from others.

human (n.) – A member of the Homo sapiens species; a person.

personage (n.) – A person of importance or distinction.

🌱 Derivatives

personal (adj.) – relating to a particular person

personality (n.) – the combination of characteristics forming an individual's character

personify (v.) – to represent an abstract quality in human form

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'persona' (mask worn by actors), which evolved to mean 'a character' and later 'an individual legal entity'.