whom

[ hoom ]

pronoun

1. the objective case of who none:

   Whom did you call? Of whom are you speaking? With whom did you stay?

2. the dative case of who none:

   You gave whom the book?

whom

/ huːm /

pronoun

1. the objective form of who , used when who is not the subject of its own clause

   whom did you say you had seen?

   he can't remember whom he saw

Usage

It was formerly considered correct to use whom whenever the objective form of who was required. This is no longer thought to be necessary and the objective form who is now commonly used, even in formal writing: there were several people there who he had met before . Who cannot be used directly after a preposition – the preposition is usually displaced, as in the man ( who ) he sold his car to . In formal writing whom is preferred in sentences like these: the man to whom he sold his car . There are some types of sentence in which who cannot be used: the refugees, many of whom were old and ill, were allowed across the border

Confusables Note

See who none.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whom¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwām, dative of interrogative pronoun hwā who none

Word History and Origins

Origin of whom¹

Old English hwām, dative of hwā who

Example Sentences

By whom?By such as pretend to love her; but come To feed upon her.

From Project Gutenberg

They were among the whom-not-to-know-argues-one-self-unknowns.

From Project Gutenberg

D-did-did you o-over-overhear huh-huh-whom he was going to kuk-kill?

From Project Gutenberg

And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his auntsHis sisters and his cousins!Whom he reckons by the dozens,And his aunts!

From Project Gutenberg

A woman can't be too careful not to be seen alone with I-don't-know-whom.'

From Project Gutenberg