who
pronoun
what person or persons?.
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-aych-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:
The defendants never opened the box, according to Teymouri, who said Xuan and Zhang were “indifferent” to the well-being of their children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
They had little choice about their potential victims - in the end it was Jerry Hall and Ross Kemp who wandered in to join Maya and James A in deliberately tedious conversation.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
When I spend time with families that have done this well, I sometimes have trouble figuring out who the siblings are: The cousins are that close.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
And a later district filing to the state acknowledged that more than 500 people who worked for district contractors likely had Social Security numbers and other confidential information exposed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Those who supported the treaty believed the Philippines would serve as a doorway through which the US could gain a financial and strategic foothold in Asia, thus extending the American empire.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
WHO says the care should focus on healthy eating and exercise, not medicine or surgery, although they do not oppose drug trials.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
It also stressed that it had shared information with the WHO in accordance with international health regulations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
She said WHO recognises this is an evolving field and will continue to evaluate the evidence.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
While Moscow has provided some information to the WHO, it has yet to answer basic questions about the case, including what tests were run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
To find a means to ensure real control over cheaper drugs, Jim enlisted the help of an ally at WHO, a young man who had worked at PIH.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Skubal, whom they acquired at the trade deadline to boost their chances at a World Series title, is set to hit free agency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
It’s not just Skydance Corporation whom Disney and Netflix will have to work against.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
But French teachers, many of whom say they are passionate about their job, do enjoy long vacation periods.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
It’s still unclear how much Tesla will ultimately ask for the Roadster or how much optional features could cost buyers — some of whom decided not to stick around and find out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
She rarely spoke to anyone other than those with whom she traded.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Other families schedule regular outings whose primary purpose is simply to build relationships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The 35-year-old is now at Chelsea but - with apologies to Danny - there is another former Blue whose stats demand a place on this list.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Kim said he hopes Olympic visitors will see “a university that has an incredible Olympic tradition,” but also one whose reach goes well beyond sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
This week, Quentin Fottrell — The Moneyist — answered questions from a reader whose investment adviser suggested that he participate in a private investment in data centers overseas.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
But the boy, whose mother had left, whose aunt resented him.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
