Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for anyone. Search instead for onlyone.
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

Det Ch Insp Simon Cartwright said Rose Tree Avenue would remain closed as investigations continued and urged anyone with information to contact South Yorkshire Police.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“Yes” won’t sway any hardliners but it should convince anyone with eyes of the absurdity of trying to write a hate song, even as Y screams its vicious lyrics into the wind.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“We do not accuse anyone of using AI, rather we report trends at an aggregate level,” she wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The noises only made me remember more: the times I’d been out there, feeling unfettered in the city that was mine as much as anyone else’s.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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.