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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

personhood

"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

But with Lawrence, someone so known for her authenticity, the connection is genuine, on full display as Grace spends the following months slipping between her personhood and her primal id.

From Salon ● Nov. 7, 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

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Related Words

• humanity
• humanness
• selfhood

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