anyone
Americanpronoun
pronoun
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any person; anybody
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(used with a negative or a question) a person of any importance
is he anyone in this town?
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(often preceded by just) any person at random; no matter who
Spelling
Anyone as a pronoun meaning “anybody” or “any person at all” is written as one word: Does anyone have the correct time? The two-word phrase any one means “any single member of a group of persons or things” and is often followed by of: Can any one of the members type? Any one of these books is exciting reading. Anyone is somewhat more formal than anybody.
Usage
See each, they ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of anyone
First recorded in 1350–1400, anyone is from Middle English ani on. See any, one
Compare meaning
How does anyone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Police said they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Hardly anyone is going to read the full SpaceX listing prospectus — which may be lucky for the company.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
"We've got teams standing by, we've got lawyers standing by, very focused on that. We don't want to let anyone down, we don't want to let anything slip away, and we've seen nothing."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Ask anyone what “Lord of the Flies” is about and you’ll get a passionate response.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
I didn’t want to let anyone speak for me, even Zara.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
