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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of second person

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Fans wearing Boston Red Sox memorabilia have been trumped by Scotland strips, and walking down the street it feels as though every second person you see is wearing a kilt.

From BBC Jun. 13, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 7, 2026

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

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

‘Sounds like Christy. He’s the only one here who never shaves properly. You’re the second person who’s been after him today. I’ll tell you what I told her. He’s not here.’

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

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