who's who

American  

noun

1. a reference work containing short biographical entries on the outstanding persons in a country, industry, profession, etc..

   a who's who in automotive engineering.

2. the outstanding or influential persons in a community, industry, profession, or other group.

   The who's who of racing will be there.

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who's who British  

noun

1. a book or list containing the names and short biographies of famous people

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who's who Idioms  

1. The outstanding or best-known individuals of a group, as in Tonight's concert features a veritable who's who of musicians. This expression comes from the name of a famous reference work, Who's Who, first published in 1849, which contains biographical sketches of famous individuals and is regularly updated. Its name in turn was based on who is who, that is, the identity of each of a number of persons, a phrase dating from the late 1300s. [Early 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of who's who

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The moment flag football was approved for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a who’s who of the NFL’s biggest stars all had the same reaction: We want in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Dunkin’ and endorser Ben Affleck, meanwhile, generated more engagement than any other celebrity spot by casting its “Good Will Hunting” parody with a who’s who of hit ’90s sitcoms including “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “Family Matters.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The tracklist, revealed yesterday, is like a who's who of indie rock.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

The feasts began in 1997 and have continued apace every other year since then, featuring a who’s who of literary accomplishment across every genre.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

I mean, everyone’s smiling and laughing and trying to guess who’s who behind what mask.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle