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Synonyms

in person

Idioms  

  1. Also, in the flesh. In one's physical presence, as in He applied for the job in person, or I couldn't believe it, but there she was, in the flesh. The first expression dates from the mid-1500s. The variant, from the 1300s, was long used to allude to the bodily resurrection of Jesus, but later acquired its looser meaning. Charles Dickens has it in Our Mutual Friend (1865): “The minutes passing on, and no Mrs. W. in the flesh appearing.”

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.

In person, it’s good to take a breath and reflect upon a person’s comment before responding.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

In person, “Baltimore’s practiced elegance frames a fierce pride and a sometimes brutal intellect, softened only by his insistence that professional criticism be leavened by personal respect.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

In person, however, Whole Foods is discouraging its employees from unionizing.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2024

In person he’s ingratiating, charming, eager to please.

From Slate • Oct. 26, 2024

In person, he was just as warm and thoughtful, though we differed markedly on the issues of the armed struggle and sanctions.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.