personhood

American  

[pur-suhn-hood] / ˈpɜr sənˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state or fact of being a person.

2. the state or fact of being an individual or having human characteristics and feelings.

   a harsh prison system that deprives prisoners of their personhood.

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personhood British  

/ ˈp£ːsənˌhʊd /

noun

1. the condition of being a person who is an individual with inalienable rights, esp under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States

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Etymology

Origin of personhood

First recorded in 1955–60; person + -hood

Example Sentences

And I was like, wow, those moments are maybe connected to this feeling of independence and a new kind of personhood that for a child is exhilarating and also really scary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some will worry this line of thinking leads to legal personhood and rights for chatbots.

From The Wall Street Journal

Private, lyric utterances—expressions of personhood—complement public statements.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a reminder that when someone tries to dehumanize you, laughing in their face can be a declaration of personhood.

From Salon

And she’s still battling and she’s still fighting for agency, for her personhood.

From Los Angeles Times