personhood

American  

[pur-suhn-hood] / ˈpɜr sənˌhʊd /

noun

1. the state or fact of being a person.

2. the state or fact of being an individual or having human characteristics and feelings.

   a harsh prison system that deprives prisoners of their personhood.

---

personhood British  

/ ˈp£ːsənˌhʊd /

noun

1. the condition of being a person who is an individual with inalienable rights, esp under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States

---

Etymology

Origin of personhood

First recorded in 1955–60; person + -hood

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

personhood

No exclusive television interview or splashy magazine profile has ever matched the raw personhood of her actual music.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

"Then we decided to propose our parliament with 600,000 signatures that the Mar Menor needs to have rights and legal personhood."

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

It is also a reminder of how the Overton window on personhood is shifting.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026

"The transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity that struck at the core of personhood, broke up families, and devastated communities," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

It felt oddly dispossessing, being handed this first legal proof of my personhood: until that moment, it had never occurred to me that proof was required.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover