What does "who" mean?
A person under discussion; a question of which person.
Who
/huː/ det, name, noun, pron, slang
det, name, noun, pron, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person under discussion; a question of which person.
- Grammar: who is listed as det, name, noun, pron, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: elli, that, that person, the person.
- Useful contrasts: ney, whom.
- Usage evidence: Every person who is alone is alone because they are afraid of others.
How to use "who"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "who" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "who" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "who" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "who" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "who" is acting as det, name, noun, pron, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "elli" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "who", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person under discussion; a question of which person.
"A wham-bam caper flick, efficiently directed by Roger Donaldson, that fancifully revisits the mysterious whos and speculative hows of a 1971 London bank heist."
- 2 a United Nations agency to coordinate international health activities and to help governments improve health services wordnet
Pronoun
- 1 What person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question. interrogative, nominative, plural, singular
"You're getting married‽ Who to? (direct question)"
- 2 Honorific alternative letter-case form of who, sometimes used when referring to God or another important figure who is understood from context. alt-of, honorific
"I make my pilgrimage to Thee O God, Who art the pilgrim's hope! Praised be the Virgin, sweet and pure! Be gracious to the pilgrimage."
- 3 Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.; With antecedent as subject. nominative, plural, relative, singular
"That's the man who works at the newsagent. (defining)"
- 4 Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.; With antecedent as object: whom. nominative, plural, relative, singular
"That's the man who I saw earlier."
- 5 Whoever, he who, they who. nominative, plural, singular
"Who insults my mother insults me."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Also used with names of collective nouns that are groups of people, especially singularly-named musical groups or sports teams. informal, nominative, plural, singular
"Who are the Miami Heat?"
Determiner
- 1 whose dialectal, interrogative
"Who phone just rang?"
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of World Health Organization. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"Trump initiated the year-long withdrawal process from the WHO in 2020 but six months later his successor, President Joe Biden, reversed the decision."
- 2 The television show Doctor Who. slang
"After three event episodes in a row (the finale, Christmas special and season opener), “Tooth and Claw” is the first “regular” episode of Who we've had in a while."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Every person who is alone is alone because they are afraid of others."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "who"?
Common synonyms include: elli, that, that person, the person, w.h.o., what person.
How do you use "who" in a sentence?
Every person who is alone is alone because they are afraid of others.
How do you pronounce "who"?
Pronounced /huː/.
Etymology
From Middle English who, hwo, huo, wha, hwoa, hwa, from Old English hwā (dative hwām, genitive hwæs), from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷos, *kʷís. The sound change /hw/ > /h/ (without a corresponding change in spelling) was due to wh-cluster reduction after an irregular change of /ɑː/ to /oː/ in Middle English (instead of the expected /ɔː/) and further to /uː/ regularly in Early Modern English. A similar change occurred in two. Compare how, which underwent wh-reduction earlier (in Old English), and thus is spelt with h. Compare Scots wha, West Frisian wa, Dutch wie, Low German we, German wer, Swedish vem, Danish hvem, Norwegian Bokmål hvem, Norwegian Nynorsk kven, Icelandic hver.