person
NOUN:
1. a human being, whether an adult or child:
The table seats four persons.
2. a human being as distinguished from an animal or a thing.
3. the actual self or individual personality of a human being:
You ought not to generalize, but to consider the person you are dealing with.
4. the body of a living human being, sometimes including the clothes being worn:
He had no money on his person.
5. the body in its external aspect:
an attractive person to look at.
6. a character, part, or role, as in a play or story.
7. an individual of distinction or importance.
8. an individual human being.
9. the body of a human being, sometimes including his or her clothing:
guns hidden on his person.
10. a living human.
11. the composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.
12. the living body of a human.
13. physique and general appearance.
14. human, individual —sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes:
chairperson; spokesperson.
15. the body of a human being.
16. the body and clothing:
unlawful search of the person.
17. the personality of a human being; self.
Examples:
She is a very nice person. // I saw a person standing on the dock. —Merriam-Webster.
in law:
1. a human being (natural person) or a group of human beings, a corporation, a partnership, an estate, or other legal entity (artificial person or juristic person) recognized by law as having rights and duties.
2. a human being or a corporation recognized in law as having certain rights and obligations.
3. one (such as a human being, a partnership, or a corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
in philosophy:
1. a self-conscious or rational being.
2. a being characterized by consciousness, rationality, and a moral sense, and traditionally thought of as consisting of both a body and a mind or soul.
in sociology:
an individual human being, especially with reference to his or her social relationships and behavioral patterns as conditioned by the culture.
in grammar:
1. a category found in many languages that is used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to or about whom he or she is speaking.
In English there are three persons in the pronouns, the first represented by I and we, the second by you, and the third by he, she, it, and they.
Most verbs have distinct third person singular forms in the present tense, as writes; the verb be has, in addition, a first person singular form am.
2. a grammatical category into which pronouns and forms of verbs are subdivided depending on whether they refer to the speaker, the person addressed, or some other individual, thing, etc.
3. reference of a segment of discourse to the speaker, to one spoken to, or to one spoken of as indicated by means of certain pronouns or in many languages by verb inflection.
4. an inflectional form (see inflection) of pronouns and verbs that distinguishes between the person who speaks (first person), the person who is spoken to (second person), and the person who is spoken about (third person).
The pronoun or verb may be singular or plural. (See more at "cultural definitions" here.)
in theology, Christianity:
1. any of the three hypostases or modes of being in the Trinity, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. (capitalized) any of the three hypostases existing as distinct in the one God and constituting the Trinity.
They are the First Person, the Father, the Second Person, the Son, and the Third Person, the Holy Ghost.
3. one of the three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christians.
4. the unitary personality of Christ that unites the divine and human natures.
of preference:
1. an individual human being who likes or prefers something specified (used in combination):
I've never been a cat person.
possibly archaic:
a character, role, or part (in or as if in a play); guise.
archaic:
bodily appearance.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English persone < Latin persōna role (in life, a play, or a tale) (Late Latin: member of the Trinity), orig. actor's mask < Etruscan phersu (< Greek prósōpa face, mask) + -na a suffix. British dictionary: C13: from Old French persone, from Latin persōna mask, perhaps from Etruscan phersu mask. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 13th century. History and Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French persone, from Latin persona actor's mask, character in a play, person, probably from Etruscan phersu mask, from Greek prosōpa, plural of prosōpon face, mask — more at prosopopoeia. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Updated: 9 September 2020 {8:05 PM}
1. a human being, whether an adult or child:
The table seats four persons.
2. a human being as distinguished from an animal or a thing.
3. the actual self or individual personality of a human being:
You ought not to generalize, but to consider the person you are dealing with.
4. the body of a living human being, sometimes including the clothes being worn:
He had no money on his person.
5. the body in its external aspect:
an attractive person to look at.
6. a character, part, or role, as in a play or story.
7. an individual of distinction or importance.
8. an individual human being.
9. the body of a human being, sometimes including his or her clothing:
guns hidden on his person.
10. a living human.
11. the composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.
12. the living body of a human.
13. physique and general appearance.
14. human, individual —sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes:
chairperson; spokesperson.
15. the body of a human being.
16. the body and clothing:
unlawful search of the person.
17. the personality of a human being; self.
Examples:
She is a very nice person. // I saw a person standing on the dock. —Merriam-Webster.
in law:
1. a human being (natural person) or a group of human beings, a corporation, a partnership, an estate, or other legal entity (artificial person or juristic person) recognized by law as having rights and duties.
2. a human being or a corporation recognized in law as having certain rights and obligations.
3. one (such as a human being, a partnership, or a corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
in philosophy:
1. a self-conscious or rational being.
2. a being characterized by consciousness, rationality, and a moral sense, and traditionally thought of as consisting of both a body and a mind or soul.
in sociology:
an individual human being, especially with reference to his or her social relationships and behavioral patterns as conditioned by the culture.
in grammar:
1. a category found in many languages that is used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to or about whom he or she is speaking.
In English there are three persons in the pronouns, the first represented by I and we, the second by you, and the third by he, she, it, and they.
Most verbs have distinct third person singular forms in the present tense, as writes; the verb be has, in addition, a first person singular form am.
2. a grammatical category into which pronouns and forms of verbs are subdivided depending on whether they refer to the speaker, the person addressed, or some other individual, thing, etc.
3. reference of a segment of discourse to the speaker, to one spoken to, or to one spoken of as indicated by means of certain pronouns or in many languages by verb inflection.
4. an inflectional form (see inflection) of pronouns and verbs that distinguishes between the person who speaks (first person), the person who is spoken to (second person), and the person who is spoken about (third person).
The pronoun or verb may be singular or plural. (See more at "cultural definitions" here.)
in theology, Christianity:
1. any of the three hypostases or modes of being in the Trinity, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. (capitalized) any of the three hypostases existing as distinct in the one God and constituting the Trinity.
They are the First Person, the Father, the Second Person, the Son, and the Third Person, the Holy Ghost.
3. one of the three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christians.
4. the unitary personality of Christ that unites the divine and human natures.
of preference:
1. an individual human being who likes or prefers something specified (used in combination):
I've never been a cat person.
possibly archaic:
a character, role, or part (in or as if in a play); guise.
archaic:
bodily appearance.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English persone < Latin persōna role (in life, a play, or a tale) (Late Latin: member of the Trinity), orig. actor's mask < Etruscan phersu (< Greek prósōpa face, mask) + -na a suffix. British dictionary: C13: from Old French persone, from Latin persōna mask, perhaps from Etruscan phersu mask. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use: 13th century. History and Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French persone, from Latin persona actor's mask, character in a play, person, probably from Etruscan phersu mask, from Greek prosōpa, plural of prosōpon face, mask — more at prosopopoeia. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Updated: 9 September 2020 {8:05 PM}