third person

American  

[thurd pur-suhn] / ˈθɜrd ˈpɜr sən /

noun

1. the grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to anyone or anything other than the speaker or the one third person singular or ones third person plural being addressed.

2. a pronoun or verb form in the third person, as she or goes in English, or a set of such forms.

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third person British  

noun

1. a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used when referring to objects or individuals other than the speaker or his addressee(s)

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Etymology

Origin of third person

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

A third person, a German woman, died May 2, and a British man was medically evacuated on April 27 to South Africa, where he also tested positive for hantavirus.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

A review by American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Roger Pielke Jr. noticed that one of those earlier publications was co-authored with a third person who wasn’t named as an author in the climate chapter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Two others were airlifted to hospitals in Stoke and Aintree with serious injuries, while a third person was taken by ambulance to Aintree.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

A criminal investigation has reportedly been opened against a former official who had been in charge of safety checks of the bar, making him the third person charged, after the bar's owners, a French couple.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

“You’re referring to yourself in the third person now?”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed