person-to-person

[pur-suhn-tuh-pur-suhn]

adjective

1. involving direct contact or exchange between individuals: Diplomacy requires person-to-person encounters at the highest levels of government.

   The disease is spread through person-to-person contact.

   Diplomacy requires person-to-person encounters at the highest levels of government.

2. (of a long-distance telephone call) chargeable only upon speaking with a specified person at the number called.

   She made a person-to-person call to her brother in California.

adverb

1. face-to-face; in person.

   They interviewed her person-to-person.

2. (in making a long-distance telephone call) to a specified person.

   I telephoned him person-to-person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of person-to-person¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

"It would definitely depend person-to-person but, at least for me, I'm looking forward in a nervous way," he said.

Read more on BBC

I'm not talking about a letter from a lawyer or a post on Instagram, I mean a real, person-to-person gesture.

Read more on Salon

Health officials say the current risk to the public from bird flu remains low, as no person-to-person spread has been detected.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Because person-to-person spread of bird flu has not yet been detected, things are not at a point where mask-wearing has been recommended.

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Ordinarily, person-to-person transmission of a flu virus “is mainly through the air from droplets from a sneeze or cough, which contains very little virus,” Paulson said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• immediate 
• personal