who
pronoun
what person or persons?.
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who
1 American
[hoo]
/ hu /
pronoun
-
whom,
objective
-
whose
possessive
-
what person or persons?.
Who did it?
-
(of a person) of what character, origin, position, importance, etc..
Who does she think she is?
-
the person that or any person that (used relatively to represent a specified or implied antecedent).
It was who you thought.
-
(used relatively in restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses to represent a specified antecedent, the antecedent being a person or sometimes an animal or personified thing).
Any kid who wants to can learn to swim.
-
Archaic. the person or persons who.
idioms
WHO
2
American
[duhb-uhl-yoo-eych-oh]
/ ˈdʌb əlˌjuˈeɪtʃˈoʊ /
abbreviation
who
1
British
/ huː /
pronoun
-
which person? what person? used in direct and indirect questions
he can't remember who did it
who met you?
-
used to introduce relative clauses with antecedents referring to human beings
the people who lived here have left
-
the one or ones who; whoever
bring who you want
WHO
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What is WHO? The World Health Organization, commonly abbreviated as WHO, is an agency of the United Nations that works to promote public health around the world. One of its principal focuses is combating communicable diseases, such as influenza, HIV, and malaria. In 2020, the World Health Organization notably helped coordinate international efforts to control and prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization was founded on April 7, 1948, when its constitution came into force. WHO inherited the activities of its precursors, the International Office of Public Health, founded in 1907, and the League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO), which was dissolved in 1946. As stated in its constitution, the World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The organization is guided by the principles that health is a fundamental human right and that every person should enjoy the highest standard of health. The World Health Organization helped lead one of the greatest public health achievements in history: the eradication of smallpox, a highly contagious disease that has ravaged humanity since antiquity. But in 1979, WHO declared smallpox officially eradicated—that is, eliminated as a naturally occurring disease—as the result of vaccination programs. The World Health Organization was also a major player in the near eradication of polio, a viral disease that can cause debilitating muscle weakness. WHO has helped spearhead efforts against many other communicable diseases, including Ebola, HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. While best known for its work in fighting communicable diseases, the World Health Organization pursues a broad array of programs and projects across the globe addressing:
- noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes
- health-related issues across people’s lifetimes
- tobacco and drug use
- environmental health issues, including clean air and water
- food safety and security
- road safety
- emergency response
- healthcare policies, including seeking universal healthcare coverage
Commonly Confused
The typical usage guide statement about the choice between who and whom says that the choice must be determined by the grammar of the clause within which this pronoun occurs. Who is the appropriate form for the subject of a sentence or clause: Who are you? The voters who elected him have not been disappointed. Whom is the objective form: Whom did you ask? To whom are we obliged for this assistance? This method of selecting the appropriate form is generally characteristic of formal writing and is usually followed in edited prose. In most speech and writing, however, since who or whom often occurs at the beginning of the sentence or clause, there is a strong tendency to choose who no matter what its function. Even in edited prose, who occurs at least ten times as often as whom, regardless of grammatical function. Only when it directly follows a preposition is whom more likely to occur than who: Mr. Erickson is the man to whom you should address your request. In natural informal speech, whom is quite rare. Who were you speaking to? is far more likely to occur than the “correct” To whom were you speaking? or Whom were you speaking to? However, the notion that whom is somehow more “correct” or elegant than who leads some speakers to make an inappropriate hypercorrection: Whom are you? The person whom is in charge has left the office. See also than .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of who
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwā; cognate with Old High German hwer, Gothic hwas; akin to Greek tís, Irish cé, Latin quis, Latvian kas, Russian kto, Sanskrit ka
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.
See Examples For:
“So we’re very urgently out there talking to those who are interested. We like the pool, but we have to get this done through the summer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
"What people don't realise is that there's so much planning and strategy that goes into an album roll out," says Moss, who has represented artists like Maisie Peters, Bruno Mars and SOMBR.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
She told MarketWatch that Novo remains focused on innovative science and methods of getting medicines to people who need them.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The race with Braun will test Gluesenkamp Perez against a more moderate opponent than she had in conservative former CIA officer Joe Kent, who ran against her in both her previous elections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
He and the other Jesuits care for the refugees—people who have lost their homes—as best they can.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
On 30 July, the WHO announced that the the "most promising" vaccine would be developed in Singapore, while the trail of a separate jab has begun in the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Obesity is an "escalating global epidemic", says the WHO.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The World Health Organization estimates that around 7 million people die from air pollution annually, while 99% of the world’s population lives somewhere that is exposed to air pollution levels above WHO health guidelines.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Last month, the M23 rebel group said the outbreak was over in North Kivu, although the WHO hasn’t made such a declaration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The Peruvian doctors were following WHO protocol, retreating Christian with standard first-line antibiotics that had failed to stop the TB in the first place.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
“A friend texted me that Anthony Jeselnik, a comedian whom I loved — but had never met nor interacted with — shouted out his love of my memoir, ‘Dirtbag, Massachusetts,’ on his podcast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
They are supported by director of football operations Rafi Moersen and new performance director Dan Lewindon, both of whom arrived from Manchester City's parent company, City Football Group.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Hamedullah said he was assigned a lawyer, with whom he spoke for 30 minutes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
But the most shadowy figure throughout the series is the Malaysian animal smuggler Anson Wong, who served as the Asian connection to almost everyone whom Mr. Goode encounters in the trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
He was the only one toward whom the brute displayed any modicum of trust.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Shopify, whose platform lets businesses sell, manage orders and process payments, is also seeing an early boost from AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, was home alone during the time of the live stream, police confirmed, and had his TikTok account suspended soon after.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
One of those believed to be at the meeting is FIFA's secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, whose internal email to staff criticising the plan was leaked on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Rats whose orexin neurons had been activated reached higher breakpoints, showing that they were willing to perform more work for the reward.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
A boy who lacked discipline, whose family was relieved when he was called to France, hoping that maybe the rigors of the army would smooth out his jagged edges, help him grow up.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
