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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of personhood

First recorded in 1955–60; person + -hood

Example Sentences

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

Some will worry this line of thinking leads to legal personhood and rights for chatbots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

The book challenges our default tendency to objectify the natural world—even as we grant legal personhood to corporations and intellectual property.

From Salon • May 28, 2025

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