anyone
Americanpronoun
pronoun
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any person; anybody
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(used with a negative or a question) a person of any importance
is he anyone in this town?
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(often preceded by just) any person at random; no matter who
Spelling
Anyone as a pronoun meaning “anybody” or “any person at all” is written as one word: Does anyone have the correct time? The two-word phrase any one means “any single member of a group of persons or things” and is often followed by of: Can any one of the members type? Any one of these books is exciting reading. Anyone is somewhat more formal than anybody.
Usage
See each, they ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of anyone
First recorded in 1350–1400, anyone is from Middle English ani on. See any, one
Compare meaning
How does anyone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
When I first met him, he was just coming out of a depression and anyone who’s ever been through that understands that it is actually a struggle.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
The end of all taxation is hard for anyone to imagine.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Its rules preclude anyone from taking snaps inside.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Thanks to “Cosmic Music,” anyone interested in her life and work doesn’t have to go comb through microfilm or ancient magazines to learn more about this unbelievably accomplished and completely fascinating human being.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
It was a while before anyone came, and Peter was beginning to think that the house had been abandoned like so many others.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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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.