second person

American  

[sek-uhnd pur-suhn] / ˈsɛk ənd ˈpɜr sən /

noun

1. the grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to the one second person singular or ones second person plural being spoken to.

2. a pronoun or verb form in the second person, as the pronoun you in English, or a set of such forms.

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second person British  

noun

1. a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used when referring to or describing the individual or individuals being addressed

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Etymology

Origin of second person

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second person

A second person is chosen by the union and a third person by the district.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

He was accompanied by a second person, who took flight when officers arrived to arrest the pair.

From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026

Given you have such a small tax refund, it does not seem worth it to spend hundreds of dollars every year; if you hire a second person, it will effectively wipe out your tax refund.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026

He said with those conditions there was no need for a second person on the bridge.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

This feels strange to you, because as long as you can remember there has always been a second person.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander