plural people or persons
1
a
: a human being
She is a very nice/shy/interesting person.
I saw a person standing on the dock.
Any person who wants a refund must have a receipt.
Most people here are quite friendly.
The tickets are $25 per person.
The person at the front desk will be able to help you.
The tax break is only applicable to persons in a high income bracket.
I like her as a person, but she is not a very good writer.
The disease is easily transmitted from person to person.
—sometimes used in compounds to avoid using man or womana spokesperson
salespeople
b
: a person who likes or enjoys something specified
Our new friends are real party people. [=our new friends like parties]
I'm just not a city person. [=I do not like the city very much]
She's always been a cat person. [=she likes cats a lot]
2
plural persons, law
: the body or clothing of a person especially when considered as a place to hide things
He was arrested for having a gun on his person without a permit. [=he was arrested for carrying a gun without having a gun permit]
The dogs discovered that the men were hiding drugs about their persons.
Cite this Entry
“Person.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/person. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
