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Synonyms

anyone

American  
[en-ee-wuhn, -wuhn] / ˈɛn iˌwʌn, -wən /

pronoun

  1. any person at all; anybody.

    Did anyone see the accident?
anyone British  
/ ˈɛnɪˌwʌn, -wən /

pronoun

  1. any person; anybody

  2. (used with a negative or a question) a person of any importance

    is he anyone in this town?

  3. (often preceded by just) any person at random; no matter who

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

So yeah, giving him control of the sun is probably one of the worst such ideas anyone could possibly come up with, though I don’t doubt he’s capable of even more.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Nana didn’t seem to mind that I went to Cuba; but she wanted to know if I met anyone handsome there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Like peeking at the guts of the iPhone, it was the first glimpse of something before anyone knew what it could be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Also, anyone residing in Abuja can contest local offices regardless of origin, unlike in other parts of Nigeria where such positions are reserved for those with local family origins.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“We have a man’s watch here that’s giving us trouble. We can’t find anyone to repair it. For one thing, the face is very old-fashioned. . . .”

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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.