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

"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

The sense of individual personhood was not what it is today, and you could absolutely feel that the children of your enemy were part of the same unit as your enemy.

From Salon • Feb. 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

Artists, acutely focused on the way we live now, can’t help paying close attention to the ramifications of AI not just in our work but in our notions of personhood.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 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