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.

---

second person British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of second person

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second person

The suspect was accompanied by a second person, who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone but who fled when police arrived.

From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026

Officers also found a second person inside who did not live at the home, according to police.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

Page is only the second person to have ever lived in Banyan Ridge, which was built in 2008, six years after Lewis purchased the land for $1.8 million.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026

In this sticker a concrete verb in the active voice and the use of the second person narrate a concrete event: if you do this, it can kill you.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker