- person
- noun
1 (C) plural people a human being, especially considered as someone with their own particular character: Tessa's a very intense person. | Hank's not the sort of person I find easy to talk to. | I like her as a person, but not as a boss. | What nice young people! | The person I need to speak to isn't here.—see man 1 | a city/cat etc person (=someone who likes a particular thing or activity): Are you one of those drama people?2 in person if you do something in person, you do it by going somewhere yourself, not by letter or asking someone else to do it: You have to go sign for it in person, they can't just mail it.3 businessperson/salesperson etc someone who works in business, selling etc—see also: chairperson, spokesperson4 (C) plural persons formal or law someone who is not known or not named: Any person found trespassing will be prosecuted. | murder committed by a person or persons unknown5 about/on your person formal on your body or hidden in your clothes: Customs Officers found a gun concealed about his person.6 first/second/third person one of the three special forms of verbs or pronouns that show the speaker (first person), the one who is being spoken to (second person), or the one who is being spoken about (third person): The third person singular of the verb 'go' is 'goes'. | 'I', 'me', and 'we' are all first person pronouns.—see also: first person7 in the person of formal used before someone's name to emphasize that this is the person who represents a particular group: I was met by the police in the person of Sergeant Black.—see also: missing person, persontoperson USAGE NOTE: PERSON GRAMMAR The usual plural of person is people: Only one person turned up. | A lot of people replied to our advert. | young people People meaning `more than one person' is already plural and cannot form a plural with `s'. It always takes a plural verb: Most people are basically honest. | People are dying of starvation every day (NOT ...is dying).). People meaning `race' or `nation' is countable and you can add `s' in the normal way: the peoples of South East Asia Persons is very formal and used, for example, in official language: He was murdered by a person or persons unknown. You may also see it on official notices: This elevator may only carry eight persons.
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.